ArtReach Program Operations

When planning an after school arts program for homeless students, there are many logistical questions which ArtREACH partners need to discuss. Download the Logistics Questionaire and use it as a springboard for discussion between partners.

Good communication between partners helps establish interagency trust and enables smooth program operation. An organizational flow chart helps clarify each partner's specific roles.

Organizational Flow chart

Monthly Meetings

Monthly partner meetings give each participating organization an opportunity to discuss specific issues and provide a platform to present uniform policies and procedures.

ArtREACH meetings should mirror school board meetings; with a prepared agenda which includes an updated phone list, a list of items to be discussed and follow-up items, the minutes from the last meeting, and photocopies of any forms to be discussed.

The meeting is a place to discuss general program issues, changes in policy or procedure, incidents which affect the whole program, concerns, upcoming events and field trips, registration procedures, transportation, and other items.

The general meeting is not the place to discuss specific student's cases. These discussions should take place after the regular partner's meeting or at a different time between those directly involved with the student (case manager, program coordinator, parents, etc.).

Client Privacy

Privacy issues are a concern when dealing with sensitive topics such as domestic violence issues, substance abuse, illnesses, mental health issues, etc. While public school personnel and shelter case managers deal with client privacy issues daily, the program coordinator will have to discuss these issues with the museum staff to ensure that they understand them.

Choosing a Site for Your Expanded Program

The Logistics Questionaire Download provides many basic questions to consider when choosing a site to host an arts program for homeless students. Some examples of locations can be a school, a church, a rented commercial space, a recreation center, the local museum, a social service center (ex. Salvation Army), etc.

When considering a site, you must address two major questions

1) Which area in your community is in greatest need of an arts program for homeless students?
If your museum is located in an affluent neighborhood, hosting the program at the museum will not serve the needs of local homeless families. However, if your museum is located in an urban center or near area shelters, hosting the program at your museum may be the best option. In either case, the program should be hosted within a few miles of the shelters served, if possible. This allows parents reliant on public transportation or those who come by foot to pick up their children.

2) How will students get to and from the chosen site(s)?
Unless the program is located within walking distance of both the school and shelter, transportation will need to be arranged with the school district, shelter, and/or parents. A variety of transportation methods can be used including shelter vans, school buses, parent carpool, and by foot. Parents should be responsible for pick-up, though some shelters may supply transportation for pick-up.

Pros and Cons of Hosting an Arts Program at a Shelter

The ArtREACH program has been housed in various locations over the past several years. Each location presented unique benefits and challenges.

The KEY TO SUCCESS at any site is the commitment of the site to the program. Open communication between partners and site personnel is absolutely necessary to ensure the success of the program. A small series of incidents can add up to a negative relationship between site and art program staff. This can often be prevented by keeping communication open.
When meeting with the staff at a potential site, specific needs must be clearly explained. You may find that there are many preconceptions regarding homeless students that you may need to clarify with the site personnel or that some locations will simply refuse to host the program because of the negative stigma associated with homelessness. If a location expresses serious misgivings about your program, it is usually best to move on to a location with a vision similar to ArtREACH's goal of helping homeless students in the community.

Multiple Site Considerations

Operating from more than one site and serving multiple homeless shelters presents a new set of challenges. Each site will need to maintain a level of self-sufficiency if emergency situations occur. The program coordinator may spend a good part of his/her time traveling between sites, and working with a variety of shelters requires a high level of organization between partners. Delivery of art materials, snacks, etc. will need to be organized. Any paperwork necessary for program function will need to remain uniform between sites. Additional staff will be needed, and extra expenses will be incurred, leading to an increased need in funding. However, the benefits of hosting the program in multiple sites include being able to reach more children, increasing the program's visibility, and being able to make a much larger impact on your community.