by Kelly Oberndorf, ISB After School and Enrichment Programs Director

As a one of the new After School Enrichment classes being offered this year, ISB has partnered with The Good School to provide a Stop Gap Animation class. This fun, innovative, and unique class lets kids discover different ways to express their creativity through animation. The students learn right away that everyday objects, such as toys or colored water, can be used to create different themes and stories that can be integrated into a bigger project. The end result is a masterpiece of creativity taking the form of a short video.

In the fall semester, ISB offered this class for 2nd through 5th Grade students. The Good School staff are constantly encouraging the students to express themselves and using different media. They provided a framework for students to work individually and in small groups to express their creativity, and it’s truly amazing what comes out of this hands-on learning. A video of their work can be found here:

The Teachers College at Columbia University featured The Good School and ISB’s Stop Gap Animation class in the video series “Seen in NY”, which highlights progressive education in NYC. The video is available below:

It is a great honor to have our students be part of this series, and you can see how the kids benefit from their exposure to this new form of creative expression. For the spring term, we have opened the class to Kindergarten and 1st Graders, and we are looking forward to seeing the great projects these two groups make through this innovative learning experience!