Update: Spring and Summer at SteppingStone
Updated 12:05 04/24/2020
Dear Friends,
If there is one shared experience of the past several weeks, it is uncertainty. We are all wondering and waiting as this story unfolds—at times, it has felt like watching a new play or movie. Many of you have reached out to see how things are going at SteppingStone, to ask about an upcoming camp or class, or to offer help as we try to operate a place of gathering in a time of isolation. Thank you.
Here is what we know.
Spring session classes are starting. They look different, with Zoom and Flipgrid creating our virtual studios. Still, the commitment is the same—young people creating a community of belonging and discovering how creating art together can change everything. As one parent told us after the first day,
“This is the best thing to happen so far. My daughter was smiling all evening after the first session and couldn’t stop talking about the games they played.”
Spring with SteppingStone might be the perfect creative outlet for your young artists. Be watching for additional opportunities in late spring!
We are planning for a different kind of summer at SteppingStone. We are assuming that group sizes will need to be limited and classes self-contained (if you’re already signed up, don’t worry – we’re just going to create more class sections with smaller groups). End-of-week sharing will need to be live-streamed to reduce social contact. And there could be weeks when public health officials ask for higher degrees of isolation. We will be ready with modifications and options for smaller in person, virtual, or combination classes. As we move closer to the start of summer camps, we will communicate details and options.
Creating an opportunity for connection between young artists is more important than ever before. When we hear from you, our friends, our student artists, and our families, we hear a longing for the communities that we have created together. They speak to our core beliefs and call us all to action:
We BelieveYoung people are artists, makers, and doers.
They need to belong and to contribute to their world.
When young people make art together, they change themselves and the world around them for the better.
We DoSteppingStone ignites belonging, generosity, mastery, self-advocacy, and inspiration by creating art with young people to share with the world.
We are SteppingStone, and we are finding new ways to create, together. Thinking of you,
The SteppingStone Team