Education In Public Schools
As part of its mission, BeMA involves diverse communities in cultural and educational programs for the purpose of building a committed and engaged civil society. Therefore, and in the lead-up to its opening, BeMA is developing a series of educational programs for the Lebanese youth, which will ultimately support the national education policy by promoting concepts like dialogue, civic education, cultural diversity, and intercultural understanding.
In 2017, BeMA developed and launched, in partnership with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education, an artist-in-residency program for Lebanese public schools. The program provides youth from different social and geographical backgrounds with the unique opportunity to acquire new skills and broaden their horizons by working with artists directly.
BeMA’s education program consists of a series of immersive classroom sessions led by an artist once to twice a week for a period of six to eight weeks. These activities are scheduled during the art period in the national curriculum.
The annual theme draws from a range of subjects that the students are learning, from the environment to our shared humanity, allowing them to think creatively and critically. In addition, the process offers a great learning opportunity for the professional development of the teaching staff as well as the artist. The benefits to the entire community are significant.
Each year, the program wraps up with an annual exhibition, a public event that brings together the entire school community, the children and their families.
Program Outcomes
- Provide a space for dialogue and cultivate a sense of belonging.
- Utilize the arts as a tool of expression to promote civic education, cultural diversity, and intercultural understanding.
- Improve the academic success of students by offering a holistic approach that bridges formal education with social cohesion programs.
Program Objectives
- Foster an environment of exploration, critical thinking, and collective work in schools around a theme that highlights our shared humanity using the arts as a tool for expression.
- Develop the artistic skills of both students and art teachers in public schools.
- Train teachers to run similar programs and adopt new effective learning strategies demonstrated during the residencies.
- Demonstrate the power of the arts in bringing communities together.
