Chester Charter School for the Arts Celebrates Fifth Anniversary

The school is showcasing student work on Feb. 28.

On Feb. 28, Kendal-Crosslands Communities and the Chester Charter School for the Arts will come together to celebrate their five-year partnership with an arts education showcase. The showcase will highlight the best work of the school’s students, including a 24-minute dance showcase with ballet, original jazz choreography, and a modern dance piece. 

The Aston-based Chester Charter School for the Arts began five years ago with the idea that art integration was important in curriculums. Nonprofit Chester Fund also supported the vision for education in the arts. Composed of individuals and businesses that believe in the model, it has committed to providing Chester’s children with an exceptional education.

“We wanted to have a structure that allows us to provide a high quality education that children in Chester deserve,” says Akosua Watts, CCSA Head of School and CEO. The school currently accommodates kindergarten through 10th grade and is in the middle of a campaign to fund the construction of a new facility in Chester to accommodate students through 12th grade. 

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Students at CCSA are exposed to a wide array of arts between kindergarten and 5th grade, but choose two specific disciplines to pursue when they reach the high school level. Watts says that the staff at CCSA hopes for its students to graduate with a clear purpose and plan for their future, based on their arts education. 

“They’re making these deep connections about conceptual ideas through the content, but also through the arts,” Akosua says. Some of those concepts will be on display as they celebrate this milestone, which also includes a two-week-long art gallery display featuring 50 original pieces from students. The gallery will be open to guests of the students, as well as community members. Along with the visual arts exhibit, some students will offer insight into how their art-based curriculum has impacted their lives.

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