The Liberty School at NTC

(Teaching Artist: Molly Puryear)

In September 2007, the NTC Foundation welcomed to its educational/cultural campus at the former Naval Training Center (Point Loma) an exciting new program.  The Liberty School concept is loosely modeled after the successful City Heights and Balboa Park partnership in that the “school” experience occurs at the NTC complex and engages the resident organizations’ teaching expertise and program offerings.  The Liberty School is designed to offer at-risk public school students from throughout San Diego County an innovative learning experience that enriches standards-based curriculum with project-based learning strategies using the rich resources of its 21 resident arts, culture and science organizations.  Liberty School offers students an approach to education that is less constrained than traditional approaches to public education. The learning process frees them to be more engaged in the educational process, addressing their individual learning styles and allowing them to explore new directions in their own lives.

All third-graders from Dewey Elementary visit The Liberty School one afternoon/week to participate in project-based learning that is aligned with state mandated academic standards.  The Malashock teaching artist works to create dance classes that meet California VAPA standards for Dance as well as support the component strands of Social Studies (Fall Semester) or Language Arts (Spring Semester).

Malashock Dance also serves seventh grade students enrolled in the ALBA (Alternative Learning for Behavior and Attitude) of San Diego Unified School District. ALBA serves students who have violated the Zero Tolerance Policy. The school's main purpose is to help a student become stabilized in terms of both education and behavior in order for them to successfully transition back into their traditional comprehensive school. ALBA offers the core courses required for graduation, and students are required to participate in both an academic and a behavioral and social/emotional curriculum.

ALBA students attend The Liberty School one week each month throughout the school year. Classroom teachers and counseling staff will accompany students as they focus on trust building, unity, self discipline, and creative expression through movement and dance.

For at-risk youth, that segment of society most likely to suffer from limited lifetime productivity, the arts contribute to lower recidivism rates; increased self-esteem; the acquisition of job skills; and the development of much needed creative thinking, problem solving and communications skills. Involvement in the arts is one avenue by which at-risk youth can acquire the various competencies necessary to become economically self-sufficient over the long term, rather than becoming a financial strain on their states and communities.
The Impact of Arts Education on Workforce Preparation
National Governors Association