Delta Arts and Wolf Trap Bring the Arts to New Hope
Give901 had the chance to step into a first-grade classroom at New Hope Christian Academy and what we witnessed was nothing short of inspiring.
In partnership with Delta ARTS and the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, New Hope welcomed a professional teaching artist into their early childhood classrooms for a week-long residency that blended curriculum with creativity.
🎭 Learning Through Movement
On the day we visited, the featured art form was dance and the kids were having a blast.
Students were moving their bodies to tell stories, act out science concepts, and embody ideas they were learning in class. From mirroring shapes to expressing character emotions with their arms and feet, every movement had purpose. Every dance step was tied back to the academic content their teacher was already planning to teach.
👩🏫 Artists + Educators = Innovation
The Delta Wolf Trap model pairs a professional performing artist with a classroom teacher to co-create lessons that are rooted in the school’s curriculum. That means every movement, every creative activity, is grounded in educational goals like literacy, STEM, and social-emotional development.
At New Hope, this kind of partnership is embraced as part of their innovative approach to learning.
🎉 Why It Matters
Decades of research show that integrating the arts into classroom instruction is one of the most effective ways to boost student learning. Incorporating movement, music, and storytelling into lessons helps reinforce core subjects like math, literacy, and science by activating multiple areas of the brain and supporting different learning styles.
When the arts are part of the learning process, kids connect more deeply and remember more.When schools partner with programs like Delta ARTS and Wolf Trap, they're not just adding enrichment, they're expanding access to transformational learning experiences for kids who need it most.
We’re grateful to have witnessed it. We’re inspired by the educators and artists leading the way. And we’re excited for more classrooms in Memphis to embrace the power of creativity.
