The Culture Connection is the passion project of Stacy Sbarra. The Culture Connection’s mission is to foster soulful learning, trigger the imagination and enhance the quality of life by connecting children to the arts and culture through fun, interactive and educational creativity workshops created by Ms. Sbarra and the expertise of her team of credentialed teachers and advisors. The workshops are cutting edge and unlike most programs. The difference is that we at The Culture Connection believe that your children are Little Creators and they learn, create and manifest on a deeper level during their early development stages than at any other times in their lives.
The Culture Connection is not merely about teaching them how to paint, play an instrument or act out their favorite character, it is about teaching them that through the wisdom and achievements of others, they have the potential and ability to become all they desire. Our journey with your child begins by tapping into that innate knowing and through the history of the arts we hope to instill lessons that will assist them in loving themselves, others, the world we live in while at the same time sparking their educational exploration into the arts. We assure you that the experience your child will have is nothing short of magical.
TCC Teacher Caroline Zimmerli" with Puppet Annabelle Affirmation
Children’s Art Workshop
Exploration and Creation
What if your child could have fun while learning about historical art movements, famous artists and the times in which they lived? Our children's art workshop achieves that goal and more by blending education and creativity in a way that expands children’s worlds through art, develops their cognitive functioning, promotes peer interaction, and reinforces their self-esteem.
Each weekly Art Workshop focuses on a different historical art movement, features famous artists from that period and works on building your child’s authentic self. Art Movements such as the High Renaissance, Impressionism, Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, Surrealism and Pop Art will be presented by our teachers in a unique and very merry way. Stand out artists from each movement such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol and numerous others will be special guests at each workshop.
By engaging children through the use of puppets, performance, and visual aids, our teachers take your child on a journey through each art movement and artist’s life focusing on cultural and historical influences, work, and legacy. Each week children will explore and discover their artistic selves with the creation of two different art projects relating to the movement of that particular session; an individual project and a master canvas they will work on collectively. This workshop connects children to art and one another by reinforcing that they are little creators while at the same time stimulating their knowledge, appreciation, and love of art and art history.
At the end of each workshop series we host a reception for parents and members of the public. At this reception, we exhibit the master canvases created by the children during the workshop. An auction of their master canvases will be held with 25% of the proceeds donated to the non-profit location where their workshop is being hosted.
Children’s Music Workshop
Jiving and Thriving
What child doesn’t love singing and dancing to their favorite music? In this unique and stimulating workshop series The Culture Connection goes beyond juvenile playfulness. This program, similar to our art and storytime programs, emphasizes the little creator aspect within your child while at the same time educating them to music they might not be exposed to in their daily lives. Children are introduced to different music genres through a cultural lens; broadening their musical experience beyond today’s pop hits. Each week features a different historical musical period and includes genres such as classical, folk, jazz, blues, country, rock & roll and r&b. Not only will children develop their cognitive, social, emotional, physical, motor, and aural skills but they will learn about famous composers and musicians such as Mozart, Bob Dylan, Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder and so many more.
As the children explore these genres and musical geniuses’ influence and legacy, our teachers will engage the children in different kinds of musical games to inspire them about the music they are hearing and seeing. Activities include active listening, call and response exercises, dancing, movement, and singing. Through these activities your child will not only learn about the weekly musical genre and featured musician but about musical concepts like motifs, patterns, tonality and rhythm.
The last segment of each weekly workshop will have the children engaging in instrument exploration with shakers, drums, cymbals, xylophones, bells, rhythm sticks, and other fun, age-appropriate instruments. Using the rhythms, patterns, and sounds they’ve learned in that workshop, they make music together in a “jam session.”
We video each jam session and give copies to parents so that they may share the excitement and joy of watching and hearing their child make music with others. By exposing your child to various musical genres, musicians and composers, this workshop fosters a life-long love of music, builds music literacy, sparks musical innovation, increases self-expression, and promotes the joy of making and sharing music with others.
Children’s Aesop’s Fables Storytime Workshop
Reading and Leading
Tales that are passed down from generation to generation usually have hidden messages that promote essential life skills. In this workshop series, children will not only be entertained but will learn the moral lessons woven into each story and how they too can become storytellers.
Each weekly Storytime Workshop focuses on a different classic fable, such as The Ant & The Grasshopper, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and The Tortoise and The Hare. Each week, our teacher reads a fable aloud in a dramatic manner and then leads the children in an age-appropriate group discussion about the fable. Our facilitator discusses each fable's theme, moral message, the cultural and historical context in which the fable emerged, and even alternate versions of the fable that may exist.
Dressed in costumes and armed with fun props, the children then role play together as they act out the characters in each fable, bringing their interpretation of the fable to life. With each workshop, your child's sensory awareness, listening and language skills, comprehension, socialization, and self-confidence will increase.
At the end of each workshop series we host a reception and recital for parents and members of the public. At this reception, we will feature a speaker from a local theater group and distribute videos of the performance.
