By Harvey Mann
The 830 Times
Nearly 600 students from the Irene Cardwell Head Start program received art lessons March 20 through 24, thanks to the staff of the Casa de la Cultura.
“The children learned to make crafts like sculptures, pottery, piñatas, recycled paper and had the opportunity to make paintings that they could take home,” said Lupita De La Paz, executive director of the Casa de la Cultura.
The Casa de La Cultura is located at 302 Cantu St., by the historic Brown Plaza. According to the organization’s mission statement,
their goal is to, “make the arts and literacy arts and literacy accessible for the entire community.”
However, the students got a lot more than art lessons this past week. After the art camp, the children were able to play together in the courtyard of the Casa de la Cultura, where they had lunch and were then transported back to their school.
“This was a great chance for us to promote our summer programs as well,” De La Paz said. “We try to support our community with free programs for the children where they learn about art, reading and other key educational programs.”
Other schools will rotate through the facility in the coming weeks, De La Paz said. “The age of the students will determine what we try to do for them.” The ages will range from Cardwell’s pre-k to high school.
