Innovative Education Print E-mail

Harmonium’s Innovative Education Division provides education, trainings and special presentations on a variety of topics to families, communities and professionals. Our services integrate education into all aspects of our programs for children, youth, families, communities and staff. Harmonium prides itself on providing quality programs and services that leverage agency funding and service resources through public and private collaborations, integrating local and state initiatives, and implementing health prevention and intervention strategies.

 

Innovative Education in Action

 

City Arts Academy, a free public Charter School

Harmonium’s City Arts Academy began as an after-school art enrichment program in 1998 located in Imperial Avenue. In 2005, Harmonium petitioned and was granted a K-3 charter school status by the San Diego Unified School District. The new charter school operated in Southeastern San Diego was named “City Arts” to honor the original program opened in September 2006.

 

The mission of the City Arts Academy was to develop a learning environment that fostered intellectual, social, emotional and creative talents of young children utilizing integrated research-based academic programs and social/emotional activities, directed by highly skilled teachers who were given the opportunity to focus on teaching. This unique academic experience worked towards the long term goal of creating a love of learning, giving students a solid foundation for later school success. Using the Direct Instruction model, created by Siegfried Engelmann and Dr. Wesley Becker in the 1960s, provided the emphasis of well-developed and carefully planned lessons designed around small group learning beneficial to students from varying socioeconomic and linguistic backgrounds for reading and language development with a strong cultural arts program. Parents of City Arts students were provided access to Parent Advocates and other family support services. City Arts Academy’s core belief was that ALL students, if properly taught, could learn.

 

Sadly in 2007, Harmonium was unable to find a new suitable location for the school and had to close the Academy, but the school district promised to try and preserve the City Arts program at Logan Elementary School. However, there were concerns that the District did not have the money to replicate the City Arts program.

 

Cultural Competence

Internal and external (local & state-wide) presentations on the integration of Cultural Competency concepts in the delivery of service: 1) set of congruent behaviors, attitude, and policies that come together in a system, agency or among professionals that enable them to work effectively in cross situations; 2) the acceptance and respect for difference, a continuous self-assessment regarding culture, an attention to the dynamic of difference, the ongoing development of cultural knowledge, and the resources and flexibility within service models to meet the needs of minority populations.  This presentation can be customized for your organization.

 

Parent to Parent

Harmonium was the first agency in San Diego County to provide a Parent Partner program. We train parents to take a role in changes and solutions to youth and family issues.  Parents can now work with another parent to assist them in accessing additional services and supports to complete the treatment goals. The program offers children living with emotional disturbances and their families an opportunity to contribute to and be responsible for their own health.