Mark Lago

Lago's "The Picasso Project" incorporates visual and performing arts activities into the daily tasks of students as a means to help develop vocabulary and language skills. The student population at Clinton Elementary represents 10 different native languages, and nearly half of the students are enrolled in the English Language Learner program or receive special education services. The Picasso Project activities that center on visual arts give students the opportunity to examine real art, learn the process used to create it, and share their experiences with peers. In addition to giving back to the community by hosting public performances, the performing arts help students build self-confidence, learn how to role-play and exercise their language skills. For example, each year students at Clinton Elementary participate in the Annual Wax Museum and Silent Art Auction. Students research and write about an individual and then role-play the life of that person based on the script they created.