Watch a video of Katie talking about her program here: https://youtu.be/MCwjRt-78Gc
Summary of Grant Program Proposal:
Sticks and Stones Studio proposed Nature Art Explorations, a nature-based art program for K–5 students at Ruch Outdoor Community School, delivered on Mondays (the school’s out-of-school day). The original plan called for an 18-week pilot session serving 20 students with two instructors, using a choice-based, nature-integrated curriculum to build students’ creative confidence, social-emotional skills, and connection to the environment, while also providing much-needed childcare for working families on Mondays.
Most notable project accomplishments:
This grant has allowed Sticks and Stones Studio to help bridge the opportunity gap created by inadequate funding for in-school art programming for K-5 students at Ruch Outdoor Community School. Art education has been cut in most K-5 schools in the
Medford School District, leaving children from low-income families with little to no access to enriching artistic opportunities. In this rural community, where 70% of families identify as low-income, providing equitable access to the arts is more critical than ever. Research consistently shows that arts engagement supports children’s fine motor development, emotional regulation, and self-expression, while also strengthening problem-solving skills and self-confidence—benefits that extend well beyond the art
room. Our central goal for this program was to provide enriching childcare for working families who struggle to find care on Mondays while school is out, and the feedback we received was incredible. Beyond supporting single parents and working families with reliable, high-quality care, the program gave students a meaningful outlet to process and express their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Through our choice-based pedagogy, young artists created work centered on what mattered most to them, and the results were often deeply moving. One student, whose mother was hospitalized during our program, used her art time to build a sculpture of a hospital where her stuffed animals could receive care. She collaborated with other students in the program to create cozy spaces for the patients. I believe she was processing the fear of witnessing her mother in a space that was new to her and bringing other children into this world she created to feel more comfortable with what she was going through at home. Another, grieving the loss of her dog, painted a tender watercolor portrait of her deceased companion. The class took time to highlight her work and give her feedback about the importance of art as an outlet for heavy emotions like grief. These sorts of teachable moments often come from the freedom of choice-based learning because students naturally express what is on their hearts and minds.
Another take-away from the program was the evident value families in this community place on arts education. Since Sticks and Stones Studio has begun to offer art programming at ROCS, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. All of our after-
school clubs fill up quickly and have waitlists, kids at the school are consistently asking when their class will have another art day, and the Nature Art Explorations Program was so popular that we had to split our 15 week program into 3, 5-week sessions to accommodate all the children who wanted to participate. As a direct result of community feedback and the success of the program, the Ruch Outdoor Community School PTO has committed to contributing a generous amount of their budget to fund in-school art programming as well as after school art clubs and we are in talks about matching grant funding for next year’s Nature Art Explorations Program. The school’s Middle School Leadership club also independently raised $2,500 to launch their own after-school art program this coming school year that focuses on mental health and wellness. We will continue this impactful work next year by continuing to raise money independently and through grants to support the Nature Art Explorations program.
Modifications to the original proposal:
Fundraising came in under target (approximately $7,000 vs. the original goal), which required restructuring. Instead of one 18-week session with 20 students and two instructors, the program ran as three 5-week sessions with one lead instructor and a
student assistant (instructor stipend reduced from $480 to $270/class), which allowed more interested children to participate. The art supply budget was reduced by incorporating materials donated by ROCS and community members, and we contributed some of our funding to snacks for participants to address food insecurity in our community.
Greatest challenges/obstacles:
As a new nonprofit (founded October 2024), the biggest challenge was learning the grant-funding landscape — securing enough funding to get a new program off the ground while serving the community meaningfully. Through fundraising and grant writing
our board has learned a lot about the importance of diversifying funding sources rather than relying on one foundation, and of building in-kind/matching community support. Next year, we will continue offering the program at Ruch Outdoor Community School and pursue funding from grants and fundraisers to keep it free and consistent throughout the year. Demand consistently exceeded capacity, resulting in waitlists, so we will retain our five-week session structure to accommodate as many students as
possible. We also found that serving all students in grades K–5 together made it difficult to address the wide range of learning needs and artistic skill levels across age groups. Next year, we will divide students into three peer groups—K–1st, 2nd–3rd, and 4th–5th grade—to better tailor instruction and ensure students are being met where they are.
While we hoped to incorporate multiple community artists during our most recent program, we were only able to feature one, sculptor Gregg Payne, in our bushcraft workshop series. Next year, we plan to expand community outreach to invite additional
local artists to share their talents with our students. Thank you for supporting art programming at Ruch Outdoor Community School. Since launching in 2024, the response has been overwhelmingly positive — so much so that the school, PTO, district, and families have all made art a funding priority. We are already setting our sights for next year, hoping to offer even more art programming in the form of after-school art clubs, Monday art camps, and in-school art classes aligned with classroom teacher’s curriculum. We couldn’t have done it without you so thank you so much for your support of this important work we are doing in our community!
-Katie Walker
Executive Director
Sticks and Stones Studio
