Greene County Council on the Arts “Sprouts”:
What is “Sprouts”?

• a free summer arts program for children ages 3 to 7.
• provides creative, educational opportunities in art, music, theater, and dance for Greene County children.
• encourages children to dream & create while enhancing critical thinking skills and self esteem.
• teaches young children to master skills in creative thinking, problem solving, risk-taking, team work and communication.
• helps shape the future by inculcating skills needed to succeed in school and in the competitive careers of tomorrow. 

Over the years Sprouts has gained an excellent reputation, attracting families from a range of socioeconomic areas.  We strive to serve all members of the community by offering the program free of charge.  For children in these early years a positive first experience has far reaching effects.

      Sprouts teachers are talented professional artists who have experience working with children   and understand the importance of positive early learning.

Each 45 minute class is limited to fifteen children, so teachers and assistants provide lots of individual attention.  All enjoy a nutritional snack between workshops.

In advanced registration, children and parents choose between music & art, or theater & dance, and children continue with the same two artist/teachers all week.  

In an environment where there is no "wrong answer" or "wrong way" a child is encouraged to invent, persevere, and enjoy success through experimentation, problem-solving and setting reasonable goals. 

Our uniquely creative, joyful atmosphere attracts dedicated, proven professionals in such diverse areas as ethnic dance,  children’s theater, photography, painting, and music.

Outstanding teenage volunteers serve as role models for younger children.  Children who’ve “outgrown” Sprouts often volunteer to assist,  resulting in a program that serves many age groups in the community.

Sprouts runs one-week sessions in Coxsackie, Greenville, Cairo, Hunter and Windham, and two weeks in Catskill, providing workshops to an average of 420 children, (about 60 children in each one week period.)  Since 1986, Sprouts has provided positive early learning experiences for children ages 3 to 7.

GCCA “Sprouts” Registration to Open May 3rd

(Friday, April 9, 2004)  "Sprouts," the Greene County Council on the Arts free summer arts program for children ages 3 to 7, will hold one week workshops in Art & Music and Theater & Dance in five locations throughout Greene County locations this summer.  Registration will begin on Monday, May 3, 2004.  To register, call the Greene County Council on the Arts @ 943.3400 on or after May 3rd.  GCCA will send a letter confirming your registration. 

“Sprouts” sessions will run as follows:
•    Coxsackie - July 5 through July 9, Coxsackie Elementary School
•    Catskill - July 12th through July 16th, and again from July 19th though July 23rd,   Catskill,   (site to be announced)
•    Cairo – July 26th through July 30th, Resurrection Lutheran Church
•    Greenville – August 2nd through August 6th  (site to be announced)
•    Maplecrest – August 9th through August 13th, and again
from August 16th through August 20th, Sugar Maples Center
for the Arts in Education, Catskill Mountain Foundation, Inc.

“Sprouts” will run for one-week in Coxsackie, Greenville, and Cairo, and for two weeks in Catskill and Maplecrest, providing workshops in art, theater, music and dance to an average of 420 children, (about 60 children in each one week period.)  Each workshop is limited to fifteen children, allowing teachers and assistants to provide individual attention. The workshops run from 10AM – 11:45AM, with a nutritional snack break between sessions. Watch your newspaper for the exact location of “Sprouts” workshops in each town.

Advanced registration allows children and their parents to choose between music and art, or theater and dance.  The children continue with the same two artist/teachers for the entire week.  In an environment where there is no "wrong answer" or "wrong way" a child is encouraged to invent, persevere, and enjoy success through experimentation, problem-solving and setting reasonable goals.  “Sprouts” provides a free quality art program for children who otherwise may not have the opportunity. 

"Sprouts"provides positive early learning experiences for children ages 3 to 7.  It is vitally important to enhance and sustain creativity in our children, so that they will enter school and community life with the impetus to create, share ideas, provide solutions, and transform their environment. Talented artists teach each “Sprouts” workshop, ones who have experience working with children and understand the importance of positive early learning.  The uniquely creative and joyful atmosphere of “Sprouts” attracts dedicated, proven professionals in such diverse areas as ethnic dance, children’s theater, photography, painting, and music.

The outstanding teenage volunteers working in the program serve as role models for the younger children.  Often when the children are too old to attend the program, they volunteer as assistants for "Sprouts," resulting in a program that serves many age groups in the community.

Greene County teens, “Sprouts” needs you!  Are you interested in working with professional artists, helping teach young children dance, theater, music or art?  “Sprouts” invites any Greene County teen interested in volunteering for our summer workshops to call Director Ruth Leonard at 634.2289.