MCA Together School Access Program

Evaluation Report: Executive Summary 2017

Contents

3 — Overview

Introduction

Overview of Programs

Establishing a deeper relationship

What have we learnt?

Participation Statistics

6 — What Participants said

7 — What Teachers said

8 — Statistics

9 — Appendix: Evaluation Questions

10 — Contact Us

Cover: Fairfield Public School, 2017, photographer: Jacquie Manning

MCA Together School Access Program | Executive Summary 2017 2

Overview

The MCA Together School Access Program provides access to our Creative Learning experiences, extending all of our MCA programs as well as additional opportunities to diverse students and school communities across Western Sydney.

MCA Together Young Team Member ProgramThis is a free four-day intensive experience offered to Stage 3 primary school students from public schools in Western Sydney. In 2017, we partnered with Merrylands East, Granville East, Bankstown, and Fairfield Public School.

In this extended program, students become ‘Young Team Members’ at the MCA, working closely with Artist Educators to build leadership skills, confidence, ownership, and to form ongoing relationships with the MCA and its staff.

Over four days, students engage deeply with contemporary art in the galleries and behind the scenes. As Young Team Members, they take on new responsibilities, learn about the varied roles at the MCA, and are encouraged to look and think in new ways.

The final day concludes with the Young Team Members stepping into the educator role and leading their families through the MCA. Young Team Members are encouraged to speak and present in their preferred languages, for their families, teachers, and school community.

Travel to and from the MCA is fully subsidised and each student, teacher and family member who participates in the program receives a pre-paid Opal Card. Over the four days, students become confident using their Opal Cards and familiar traveling via train. By the final program day, students feel empowered to teach their families how to use public transport.

Above: Bankstown Public School, 2018, Photographer: Jacquie Manning

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School Access Program: Subsidised 60 & 90 minute VisitsThis program offers free Artist Educator-led creative learning programs for public schools from Western Sydney and beyond who require support to visit the Museum and participate in MCA learning programs.

RAW (Ready, Arrive, Work) Program

In mid-2017 Brendan Gembitsky from NSW Department of Education (Manager Workplace Coordination) invited us to participate in this collaborative program offered to refugee students in secondary school. The program recognises a need for vocational learning program – many of these students express an interest in becoming doctors or lawyers, but the program aims at broadening students’ ideas about career posibilities and introduces an opportunity to learn about the diverse and exciting career landscapes in Australia. Brendan has created what he calls “civic partnerships” where students go to partner organisations – like MCA, AGNSW, Taronga Zoo – to get a sense of how organisations work and learn about roles; then they have the opportunity to participate in a creative learning experience.

Participants come from diverse places including Kenya, Sudan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, and Syria with refugee status in the last 4-5 years.

On average these secondary students are in years 7-11; however some participants are in their early twenties due to missed schooling and education through trauma and other experiences.

In 2017 we offered a 4-hour tailor-made workshop, providing an opportunity to experience:— contemporary art— an extended creative learning program— exposure to the Museum— the different roles and career paths that exist in the arts.

Above: Bankstown Public School, 2018, Photographer: Jacquie Manning

Overview

“More than being about the project undertaken or learning how to make art, this program is about life skills, social development, confidence, language skills, collaboration, group work, leadership.” Giselle Stanborough, Artist Educator

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Establishing a deeper relationship

At the beginning of 2016 we made the decision to invite three schools to become core partners with us over a three-year period. This would enable us to offer them an extended program, enabling deeper engagement, a stronger relationship and the ability to fully understand the impact of the program, on students, teachers, families and the MCA itself. We also wanted to find and test other meaningful ways to connect with the three schools across the year; and find ways to continue to maintain student and family attendance through ongoing opportunities. The schools are: Merrylands East PS, Granville East PS and Bankstown PS.

What have we learnt?

Principal involvement and support is key to strong partnerships; schools like Merrylands East PS, Granville East PS and Bankstown PS have become strong partners because of Principal support, passion and commitment.

Pre and post visits are very valuable, primarily to deepen relationships and to understand the school’s perspective and their context. We initiated pen pal letter writing as a means of facilitating post-program reflections and evaluation but also to keep in touch with students and teachers.

We invited two Merrylands East Public School students and their Principal John Goh to speak at our annual Bella Dinner fundraising event; to share their experience of the MCA Together Young Team Member Program. The students sense of ownership over their responsibilities and their stories that came from and connected them to the MCA was immensely positive; resulting in the biggest amount of sponsorship yet from a Bella Dinner.

Both Merrylands East PS and Granville East Public School have now participated in MCA educator-led Teacher Professional Learning days, and Bankstown and Merrylands both invited us to be a part of their end of year presentation days. John Goh also asked that we present at the Fairfield Principals’ Association Event earlier in the year, which spread the word about our programs to a wider range of Western Sydney Principals.

Through teacher and Principal support, we were able to get high family attendance rates for the visit to the MCA during the MCA Together Young Team Member Programs. A parent from Merrylands East Public School postponed an important work placement shift so that she could be present to support her daughter on the last program day as she had heard so much about it. Making this visit a priority shows the impact and positivity of the program

on the students and the translation of that back in their home.

During the family visits, we observed deep and active engagement with family members and parents, and saw many parents participating in the student-led creative strategies; taking photos of artworks and documenting the experience. Many family members said that they had learnt how to talk about contemporary art with their child as a result of the program.

We have learnt to modify our approach when working with EALD students – to build in extra time to allow for the translation of questions and discussion so that all students could feel included.

Students often comment on being surprised by how welcoming the staff are at the MCA. There are many pre-conceived notions about what people at Museums would be like. Anticipation of unfriendliness can be identified as another barrier.

Feedback from teachers tells us that the best way to encourage visits by low SES students is by providing transport. “It’s usually the buses that makes excursions cost so much. Would be awesome to be able to give many more groups the same opportunity” – Louise Reynolds, Principal Granville East PS.

We have worked to incentivise return visits to the MCA for the participants after programs have finished, and to find ways of measuring this. We offered complimentary family tickets to the Contemporary Kids School Holiday program, the Pipilotti Rist: Sip My Ocean exhibition, the Pipilotti Rist Kids’ Opening, and tickets to Genext events.

Through tracking of these tickets, we found that two families from Merrylands East Public School had returned to participate in the Contemporary Kids program, and Cindy Valdez Adams, the teacher from Fairfield Public School, had returned for Contemporary Kids with her daughter.

Fifteen students from Merrylands East with Principal John Goh came to the Pipilotti Rist: Sip My Ocean Kids’ Opening, and John also brought 25 students to an MCA Contemporary kids program.

A further six families came to the Pipilotti Rist: Sip my Ocean exhibition, using their comp tickets.

Finally, three of the families have volunteered to become part of our MCA Kids’ Committee. This is particularly meaningful, as they are all students and families from EAL/D, refugee, and/or Indigenous backgrounds.

Overview

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Feedback from Participants

Merrylands Students presenting at MCA Bella Dinner, 2017

“I was excited because I had never been to the city before or the MCA. I learnt about art—I don’t really learn much about art at school. I learned about Daniel Boyd—he’s an Aboriginal man like me. That made me happy. Now I want to work with parents and students—I want to work here and do what you do. I would tell my family and friends to come because it’s awesome and it’s a real classroom.” – Student, Bankstown Public School, Year 4

“I feel safe at the MCA.” – Student, Year 4

“I loved the view but the art was the best. The art was inspiration and by looking at it, I felt it in my mind.” – Student, Year 6

“I learned that through interaction people learn better. It was so fun playing and learning at the MCA. It was so interactive and educational, but before my MCA experience I thought museums weren’t as interactive as this.” – Student, Merrylands East Public School Year 5

“Everyone that comes here is different. I have my own story. Someone else has their own story. And we shared them.” – Student, Merrylands East Public School Year 5

“Thank you—what you have done is make these kids – kids who do not all feel appreciated-- understand that they are valued, that they are important. My daughter has gone through a lot this year especially at home. With this program, she has come home every day excited and feeling appreciated. She has started making art before school and even when she gets home.” – Parent, Fairfield Public School

“We’ll visit the Museum again, because I want to share this experience with my husband—everything about today.” – Parent, Bankstown Public School

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Feedback from Teachers

“It is difficult to measure the impact of an experience that is so deeply beneficial for each and every student, staff member and parent that attends the program. I observed increased confidence, an understanding of and appreciation for contemporary art, a learned value of process over product, and the development of invaluable leadership skills. Students demonstrated higher order thinking, creativity and critical thinking, and even increased resilience. Furthermore, students have improved in their speaking and listening skills. They have all improved their confidence and have showed initiative throughout the program. In particular, the 2 students with anxiety were really challenged and well-supported. – Michelle Kendall, Bankstown Public School

“There was significant gains from the MCA program. Student-directed learning, voice, collaboration, creativity and problem-solving skills were areas that were supported by the program and had an impact on student learning. Students were extremely proud of their completed projects and excited to share and present their success with their families and staff members. Students who were reluctant to stand in front of an audience and present are now more comfortable doing this after the 4-day intensive program. Skills gained in improved collaboration and creativity have also been witnessed by these students in their classroom setting and beyond.” – Deputy Principal Nahla Dennaoui, Bankstown PS

“The experience provided an authentic, meaningful context for our students to use language. They were explaining, instructing, informing and describing. In terms of attendance and punctuality, one student who is usually late to school came to school on time to participate in the program. The experience provided the opportunity for students to be “educators” and get a better understanding of ‘purpose’ and ‘audience’ and how to engage others. You could see how proud they were of themselves and presenting to their peers, parents, and teachers.” – Cindy Valdez-Adams, Fairfield PS

“Fantastic engagement with Miyajima’s work—students responded well to the educator and the artworks. Great to see artworks firsthand—rural students always benefit from city and Museum visits—exposure to galleries is very important. We will use the ideas and strategies used today back at school as the basis for our year 12 case study on Miyajima.” – Angela Bagordio, Nambucca Heads High School

“Students have just blossomed! Huge increase in confidence across the board; it is amazing to see them confidently sharing their ideas with others. Students are inspired and energetic. They want to be here! The really formative nature of the program has surprised me. It’s very dynamic and constantly changing. I can see how you are constantly thinking on the spot about how you can make this program work for the kids in front of you. It’s not one size fits all!

Thank you both for your genuine warmth and enthusiasm. You are inspiring educators and I feel so incredibly lucky to have learnt from you both over the last couple of days. I am a better teacher and artist for it!” – Brianna Pansini from Granville East Public School

“I just wanted to thank you again for all your hard work this week (and the team, Brook and Giselle). It has meant a lot to our students and although they don’t always show it, trust me on the train rides home, they rave about what they have been doing and are excited every morning to come into the MCA to think, create and move. They had mixed emotions this afternoon and were all proud of their achievement, but sad that their time was ending (for now). I just wanted to share though that unanimously their favourite part of the whole experience was the tour where they got to share their knowledge and experiences with their family members. I was a little worried that they would feel like they had less time to create, but I think they feel they can do that in their own time or at school, but when do you get the experience to speak into a microphone, have your voice heard and take on leadership roles within an organisation? So I think overall the program was very well balanced and achieved all of those great outcomes liked increased confidence, freedom of expression and joy. So thanks!” – Thea Hopkins, Granville East PS

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Participation Statistics

School Students Teachers Family Members

Nambucca Heads High School 10 1

Chester Hill North Public School (20 Principals across Fairfield area attending)

20

Bankstown Public School Pre Offiste Program School Visit 15 4

Bankstown Public School 4-Day Intensive 15 1 11

Fairfield Public School 4-Day Intensive 15 1 3

Sherwood Grange Public School 25 2

Merrylands East Ps & Granville East Public School Offsite Pre-program School Visits

15 4

Merrylands East PS & Granville East Public School 15 1 21

Widemere Public School 29 2

Merrylands East Public School 15 1 13

Thomas Acres 28 2

Lansvale Public School Early Learning Preschool Group 40 4

Lansvale Public School Early Learning Preschool Group 40 4

Campbellfield PS 90 6

Condell Park Public School 90 6

Harrington Street Public School Art Write Now Year 6 60 4

Thomas Acres 12

Granville East PS Follow Up Visit Pipilloti Rist 20 2

Sherwood Grange Public School 26 2

Offsite Merrylands East PS Pre-visit Program 15 2

Offsite Bankstown Follow up program 15 4

Bankstown Girls High 37

Liverpool Girls' High 20 2

Offsite Follow Up Program with Merrylands East PS and Granville East Public School

32 4

Sarah Redfern High 15 1

Keira High School, RAW Partnership Program 13 1

Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts, RAW Partnership Program

20 1

Warrawong High School RAW Program 9

Figtree High School RAW Partnership Program 11 1

Merrylands East PS Presentation Day 15 1

Bankstown Public School Follow Up Post Program School Visit (Awards Day)

15 4

Sub-totals 777 88 48

Total participation 913

Across 2017, the program worked with

Pre schoolLansvale PS

PrimaryMerrylands East Public SchoolGranville East Public SchoolBankstown Public SchoolFairfield Public SchoolChester Hill North PSSherwood Grange PSWidemere PSThomas Acres PSCampbellfield PSCondell Park PSHarrington Street PS

Secondary Nambucca Heads High SchoolBankstown Girls HSLiverpool Girls HSSarah Redfern HS

RAW Partnership programKeira HSWollongong HSWarawong HSFigtree HS

Participation Total: 913 Participations (students, teachers, family members)

Student Participation Total:777 Students

Teacher Participation Total:88 Teachers

Family Member Participation Total: 48

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MCA Together Young Team Member ProgramEvaluation Questions:— What prior experience did the students have of museums

and galleries? How confident did they feel about visiting museums and galleries? What barriers existed for them? Did the program change this and if so, in what way?

— What was the impact of undertaking the program within the Museum? How did this inform the learning experience of the student?

— What role did Artist-Educators play in the support of the students’ self-directed projects? Did this role require them to work in a different way than required by a regular student learning program at the MCA? In what way? What did they learn from this experience?

— How did the program impact students’ learning? How did they demonstrate this?

— How did this program impact on the students’ families and their relationship to museums and galleries? What were their views on museums and galleries before the program – did this change as a result of their childs’ experience and their own experience?

School Access Program Subsidised 60 & 90 minute VisitsEvaluation Questions:— How did the program impact students’ learning? How did they

demonstrate this – during the program? Back at school? (Include observations of students, teachers and Artist Educators)

— What influence/impact did the museum environment have on students’ learning? What factors contributed to this and how did students respond?

— How confident did students feel about visiting museums and galleries before their visit? Did their experience at the MCA impact on their confidence? If so, in what way?

RAW Program

Evaluation Questions — How does the program impact students’ learning?— How does the program impact students’

ideas about museums and careers? — How confident did students feel about visiting museums

and galleries before their visit? Did their experience at the MCA impact on their confidence? If so, in what way?

Appendix: Evaluation questions

Back cover: Bankstown Public School, 2018, Photographer: Jacquie Manning

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Contact Us Get in touchathena.cabot@mca.com.au

Museum of Contemporary Art Australia140 George StreetPO Box R1286, Sydney 1223 AustraliaT 61 2 9250 8440

MCA staff delivering the Program in 2017Athena Cabot, School Access Program CoordinatorGiselle Stanborough, Artist EducatorBrook Morgan, Artist EducatorLaura Carey, Artist EducatorLiam Benson, Artist EducatorElla Condon, Artist Educator