OfA provides rigorous, fun, and innovative programs (workshops, residencies, classes) for students in grades K to 12 in the following formats:
OfA's areas of focus:
OfA programs help students stay involved in intensive, challenging, and thought-provoking year-round activities that lead to increased participation and engagement. We welcome the opportunity to work with your school or organization to provide a customized OfA experience that will help meet your specific student and school community goals. For further information, pricing, and how to bring an OfA program to your school or organization, please email us at services@ofaed.org or by phone at 312-624-8509. (OfA is a CPS approved vendor).
TMS is a challenging, fun, and creative sneaker design class with a vision to empower and engage. TMS is designed to provide students with an understanding of the history, culture, and trends in sneaker design. Students utilize a combination of art, sneaker culture, branding, and group dialogue as a means for personal growth and self-expression. Students obtain the tools and knowledge to create their own sneaker design and gain a stronger sense of their creative and personal identity. Students are also introduced to the business side of sneaker culture and how to utilize their newly acquired skills to become future entrepreneurs. The ultimate goal of Through My Sole-Sneaker is to spark imagination and critical thinking to help develop confident and innovative lifelong learners.
Like TMS-Sneaker Design, TMS-Skateboard provides students with many of the same skills, activities, and experiences. Students in this class learn how the modern-day skateboard traces its origins to the surfboard and how skateboarding has become a global activity, that in addition to its traditional use, has become another way to express art and identity through functional design.
Since 2018, OfA has worked with Azuela Elementary and the Summit and Berwyn North School Districts to provide students in grades 3 to 8 with instruction in the time-honored musical art of Mariachi. Through OfA's Teaching Artists, students learn the music and culture of mariachi, while also gaining lifelong artistic, technical, and linguistic skills.
Parent, Finkl School 2021
SY 2021-2022 began with after school arts programs at Berwyn North SD 98. Across the district, OfA provided three offerings: Through My Sole Sneaker Design Project, Mariachi (beginner & advanced), and Mexican Folkloric Dance.
CPS school, Finkl Elementary students took part in a 10 week virtual photography program. Students learned to use a camera, learned photography techniques, history and basic editing skills. Students' final art projects were books and/or posters of their own photography.
Created in the wake of COVID, OfA created a set of instructional videos for the teachers in our partner districts to use in their classrooms.
These videos were created both in English and in Spanish.