650 7th Graders to Visit Downtown Salina’s Arts & Culture

Hundreds of middle school students will take over Downtown Salina on Monday.

The 7^th Grade Culture Crawl will fill downtown, with over 650 7th graders, faculty and support staff. Organized by the Salina Educators, the mission of the Cultural Crawl is to expose students to the interconnectedness of Salina’s cultural entities to the community, and how their involvement can shape their future and the future of their community.

Seventh graders of Salina were identified for this program because many times they don’t have the same opportunities for field trips and other prospects to learn outside the classroom. Schools participating in the Cultural Crawl will be USD 305’s Lakewood and South Middle Schools of Salina.

The Cultural Crawl will take place from 8:35 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Students will be divided into groups of 60. Throughout the Cultural Crawl each group will stop at nine stations. The lessons being taught will cover curriculum areas of arts, science, history, social studies, math and more.

Participating organizations are donating their time and talent to develop their program and man their station for the event.

Community Access TV will be teaching different aspects and opportunities of connecting with the community through video production.
The Salina Art Center will introduce the use of narrative in art and students will develop their own art work.
Friends of the River Foundation will experiment with a model river seeing what happens when trash is introduced.
Lakewood Discovery Center will have students interact with water, learning its importance to our survival and the effects of conservation practices and water stewardship.
Salina Downtown, Inc. will help students gain an understanding of the visual arts with an interactive sculpture tour.
Salina Public Library will help students choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely.
Smoky Hill Museum will connect students with selected people from the 1960s, viewing the struggle through different eyes.
Local hip hop artists, cash hollistah will discuss the relationship between hip hop music and poetry/language arts.
Salina Community Theatre will share an appreciation for how lights, set, and costumes influence a theatrical scene.
Rolling HIlls Zoo will develop in students an awareness of how student’s purchasing power affects animals and the environment in other parts of the world.

Volunteers from the Salina Area United Way through the Volunteer Hub will be helping with the event throughout the day. Funding of the transportation for the Cultural Crawl is being provided by the Salina Education Foundation and several local donors.