by Dennis Dalman
The creators of “Art and Science Kits” for children are seeking donations to continue their enrichment programs through this summer.
The art and science kits contain art supplies, games and challenges for children throughout the greater St. Cloud area. The kits are placed in old, refurbished newspaper-dispenser boxes and placed in areas such as parks, neighborhood kids’ clubs, libraries and other places where children and their families gather for social, recreational, educational and food programs in the summer months.
The idea for the art kits started with Alicia Peters of St. Joseph, an art-instruction professor at the College of St. Benedict, president of Millstream Monday Night Market series in St. Joseph and arts director for the St. Cloud-based YES Network. The latter is a neighborhood network of programs that brings art, science, recreation and other programs to children and families in central Minnesota.
Peters decided to apply for a grant to start the “art kit” program, then she went out and bought old newspaper-dispenser stands to hold the art kits. Then she recruited the efforts of college students and teachers – mostly in St. Joseph – to create and fill the art kits.
Others (students, teachers) were invited to create the science kits that are based on the STEM program (a curriculum to enrich young students’ knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math).
The kits all contain supplies (paints, crayons, paper, etc.) and fun ideas for projects on how to use the materials.
So far, the artists and science experts put together a total of 240 kits.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun,” said Becky Pflueger, who grew up on a farm in St. Joseph, then graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago with degrees in photography and print-making. She now works at the St. Cloud Public Library, one of the places where the art-and-science kits are available for children.
“These kits,” she said, “bring people – families – together. They help get kids off screens, their laptops and learn social skills with others. These days (pandemic restrictions) there has been an increasing isolation among people, and some kids do not even know who their neighbors are.”
Thanks to art-and-science kits and the activities they stimulate (pictorial art, music, dance, science and math explorations and projects), children not only have fun learning, but learn to connect in positive teamwork bonds with others. A recent activity invited children to participate in a scavenger hunt; another project helped children learn the meaning of “negative space” in the visual arts.
Individuals and/or companies can choose to sponsor art and science kits in their names.
To donate to help keep the kits stocked with supplies, send a check to YES Network, P.O. Box 1042, St. Cloud, MN 56304. Write Art/Science Kits on the memo line.
One can also donate online by going to yesnetwork.org
The art-and-science activity kits for children are stored within these old newspaper dispenser boxes, repainted whimsically by talented St. Joseph artists.
