DIGITAL LITERACYCENTER FOR CREATIVE EDUCATION

ABOUT CENTER FOR CREATIVE EDUCATIONIn the early 1990s, the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, concerned about

increasing cuts to arts education in schools, commissioned a county-wide study to find a way to fill the void. In 1994, that study led to the creation of the Center for

Creative Education. Our original mission was to train teachers in how to bring he arts back into schools by integrating art into other classroom studies.

Integrating the arts into the core academic subjects to enhance student engagement and comprehension is still the core of our work today. CCE

partners with schools and after-school sites in Palm Beach County to provide quality, creative educational opportunities, using the arts as the foundation.

The mission of the Center for Creative Education is transforming teaching and learning through creativity and the arts.

CCE envisions a world where each child has the opportunity to learn and grow in the way that meets their needs and allows them to reach their

full potential as citizens and contributors to society.

For 24 years, we have supported the achievement of over 10,000 students annually in Palm Beach County. Over 90% of the students we serve come from low-income

families. We have joined forces with the School District of Palm Beach County and aligned with a growing national initiative to address the ongoing literacy crisis in

our communities, especially for students of color and from low-income backgrounds. As the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading reports, “a full two thirds of U.S. students fail to become proficient readers in the early grades, and schools

cannot fix the problem without community support.”

CCE offers three categories of programming focused on literacy and 21st Century Learning Skills. Our In-School Program, Arts for Literacy,

integrates the arts with academics to enrich content areas such as language arts, literacy, math, and science. CCE Teaching Artists work

in collaboration with classroom teachers using the arts as a tool to team-teach key concepts and lessons that can be difficult for students

to master through traditional methods.

In our Out-of-School Program, Teaching Artists use art activities to teach art skills and reinforce classroom studies.

CCE also offers 3rd – 12th grade students CREATIVE FOUNDATIONS & DIGITAL LITEARCY ProgramS in our unparalleled facility. Students learn

skills in theater, visual arts, sound design, media arts, digital cinema, web design, and coding.

PROGRAMMING

DIGITAL LITERACY PROGRAMCCE offers in-house programming for CULTURALLY DIVERSE students

combining the arts and technology to support their academic, social and creative development. these multimedia storytelling programs

promote the “4 Cs” of the 21st Century Learning model: collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity.

Students also gain Media and Technology Literacy for success in an

increasingly technology-driven world. CCE’S DIGITAL LITERACY PROGRAM leverages the arts and technology to enhance student performance in language arts, math and science, aligning with the Florida Standards and supporting the School District’s strategic plan. DIGITAL LITERACY offers a healthy outlet for self-expression for disadvantaged teens who feel they are not heard or valued in school or at home. Students can begin

their journey in any of the program levels being offered:

EXPLORE (grades 3-5)Connect (grades 6-8)Create (grades 9-12)

EXPLORE(CREATIVE FOUNDATIONS FOR GRADES 3-5)

In EXPLORE, students gain hands-on experience in Drawing, Sculpting, Theater, Music Comprehension, and iPad integration, learning the

power of each to tell stories and communicate ideas. ---

Visual Arts - drawing and sculpting skills original stories

Theater Music Comprehension

sound recording video and image editing

dialogue, sound effects and musical underscoring

Connect(GRADES 6-8)

In Connect, students build upon their storytelling skills to create impactful stories of personal, cultural and social relevance.

Moving from the creative development of fictional stories in EXPLORE, Connect students work together to form a better understanding of

real issues affecting their lives. They continue to build on their technology and media arts skills to develop the sophistication of

their projects in a variety of formats: videos, promotional materials, websites, all to be collected in their own, digital portfolios.

Connect keeps middle school students engaged by relating to their needs and interests at this critical developmental stage. It provides

students a structured technology-based learning environment while giving students the freedom of “voice and choice” in choosing and

communicating topics important to them and their peers.

Create(GRADES 9-12)

In Create, students begin to master the skills of digital media production and gain real-world experience preparing them for post-secondary education and a multitude of career paths. Students begin

to focus on an area of digital media that most interests them, building a professional portfolio of original video projects, websites,

promotional materials and other digital media and artwork.

Once students have developed a strong foundation of technical and communication skills, they work collaboratively on production teams for real-world clients that have included Mounts Botanical

Garden, DePorres Place Center for Adult Literacy, and Beach Environmental. Ultimately students in 11th and 12th grade who have completed advanced level coursework are encouraged

to undertake leadership roles as project managers and teaching assistants in the program.

PHOTOSHOP ILLUSTRATION VIDEO EDITING STUDENT INTEREST

DIGITAL LITERACY at CCE offers students access to industry-grade equipment teaching them professional tech &

storytelling skills in a safe & nurturing environment, skills employers are seeking: the ability to

problem solve, collaborate, critically think, communicate & actively listen, learn.

We believe that digital citizenship skills have become essential for students in the 21st century, especially in

schools like ours that are using technology to transform learning. That’s why we are committed to teaching our students how to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly. Center

for Creative Education has just been approved as a Common Sense School, an honor that recognizes our efforts in teaching digital citizenship to young people

and engaging the entire school community in this important discussion. The recognition acknowledges our

program’s commitment to helping students think critically and use technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate.

This honor is provided by Common Sense Education, part of a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the

trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology.

KEY DIGITAL LITERACY STAFF

Jonathon Ortiz-SmyklaDirector of In-House Operations

Dwayne TaylorManager of Technology Services

and Instruction

Erick MarquezMedia Arts Instructor

Dr. Rebecca M. PinchevskyDirector of

Curriculum and Instruction

NELSON PINOFACILITIES MANAGER

Our programming staff combines decades of experience in the areas of education, curriculum design, child development,

program management, media production and the visual and performing arts. CCE recently completed the final phase of buildout in our facility. We invested $7,500,000 on purchasing,

construction, equipment and software to provide high-quality programs and unparalleled resources to the most economically disadvantaged students in Palm Beach County.

Many of these resources were specifically designed for the DIGITAL LITERACY Program.

TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR INQUIRE ABOUT A TOUR please contact Jonathon Ortiz-Smykla at

Jonathono@cceflorida.org

CENTER FOR CREATIVE EDUCATION425 24TH STREET

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA 33407

(561)805-9927 | CCEFLORIDA.ORG