Lifeworks works for better livesVolunteers
with Lifesworks Jacksonville are stepping up as school partners by
bringing art into classrooms at a local inner city elementary school.
Through their School Partners commitment with S.P. Livingston,
Lifeworks Jacksonville volunteers have partnered with the Cummer Museum
of Art to provide an art enrichment program for students in the Excel
program, which teaches real-world, problem solving skills.
Lifeworks volunteers visit the school on a monthly basis to work with
students in the SED (Severely Emotionally Disturbed) program, using
famous and/or interesting replicas of artworks in the classroom to
facilitate enriching, guided discussions.
Lifeworks Jacksonville Inc. is the local chapter of a national company,
Lifestream Learning Systems Seminars. Lifeworks Jacksonville, with
about 1,000 local members, is a nonprofit organization led by graduates
of Lifestream Learning Systems Seminars who want to share their
experience with others and make a difference in the community.
Nancy Altman is president of Lifeworks Jacksonville and her husband,
Dr. Jim Altman, leads the Excel program at S.P. Livingston and
facilitates seminars for Lifeworks Jacksonville.
Lifeworks seminars provide an opportunity for individuals to attain and
apply tools for personal and professional success. Board members are
graduates of the basic and advanced seminars and are responsible for
establishing the vision, goals and policies of the organization.
The volunteers who visit the children at S.P. Livingston are students
from the advanced Lifeworks seminar who chose working with these
elementary school students as their community service project. Many of
them continue serving in the school after they’ve completed the seminar.
“When you go through the Lifeworks seminars, you learn the importance
of making a difference in your own life and in the lives of others
through community service,” Jim said.
Bringing art to the classroom reaches the students in a nonverbal,
creative manner. During the art enrichment program, the volunteer will
bring a print of a famous or popular piece of art and ask questions
such as “What’s in the picture?” or “What’s beyond the picture?”
They also explore the shapes, depths and colors to help the students
develop their critical thinking skills. Each painting is left in the
classroom for the entire month so the students are able to continue
discussions about the art or ask their teacher questions about it.
In addition to providing the art enrichment program, Lifeworks
volunteers also provide an annual picnic and holiday party for the
students and take the students on a field trip to the Cummer to see
some of the art firsthand. Because many of the students have never been
in an art museum, visiting the Cummer is a special experience.
Lifeworks’ service at S.P. Livingston began three years ago with a
single picnic and now serves the 100 plus students in the Excel program
who are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills, build self
esteem and learn the value of art through the program.
“We want the students to understand that no dream is too large,” Jim said.
Lifeworks facilitators teach similar skills through their seminars.
While focusing on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual
elements of each individual, the seminars explore core values that
include responsibility, trust, balance, acceptance, social
contribution, communication, honesty and commitment through
experiential learning activities.
“People discover that what’s important is how they feel every day,” Nancy said.
Lifestream seminars are for all ages. The basic three-day workshop is
held at Jacksonville University, and the advanced five-day is at the
Marywood retreat just south of Mandarin.
“It’s about bringing balance into your life,” Jim said.
Nancy Altman has a master’s degree in counseling from Jacksonville
University and a master’s degree in social administration with a
specialty in social science from Georgia Southwestern University. Jim
Altman has a Ph.D. in education and behavioral disorders. As the
manager of the Excel Program at S.P. Livingston Elementary, he
currently works for the Duval County School Board. |
