UNM is offering its answer to constructive activities for children of working parents who have nowhere to send them during Winter Break.
The Institute for Environmental Education, which is part of the UNM School of Architecture and Planning, is extending its summer Design Academy for Youth to run during December holidays.
"We're hoping we can fulfill a need and put children in a constructive, exciting and creative problem-solving class," said Anne Taylor, the institute's director.
The classes will be offered all day Dec. 27-28 and Jan. 3-4.
"We give studio tours, show films and have walking tours for one week, and the fee is $300," Taylor said. "The ones we have offered in the past have been very well-received. The kids just get so excited about the program and keep coming back every year."
In addition to fulfilling a childcare need, Taylor said the program aspires to encourage and enrich children's understanding of the world.
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"Parents are very excited about it because it is an opportunity for their children to do more than just watch television during vacation and this also works in place of some of the art programs that are no longer in schools. There are a few art programs, but they really are minimal."
The classes are taught in the architectural design studio format, with students doing two-and three-dimensional drawing and models.
"They learn about structure and sketching and tend to walk away looking at the world in greater detail than many adults do," Taylor said. "It is open to anyone who is interested, and they don't have to be great artists coming into the program."
In addition to the classes, the students in the program get a T-shirt and a curriculum to continue working on at home after the program is completed.
"The best part about this is probably the fact that children who have never done architectural design and drawing do some very sophisticated work," Taylor said. "They're unencumbered by concepts of what they can't do, and just do amazing work."
Registration fees are $300 per student, which covers a student design kit, workshop materials and snacks. A $25 discount is available when more than one child from a family enrolls. Space is limited and is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, call the Institute for Environmental Education at 277-5058.
