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By Clare Dealy
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
In this day and age, it is essential that youth be provided with opportunities to expand their imaginations and enhance their creativity. Last week, Medfield’s Park and Recreation Center did just that.
Last Thursday, the Pfaff Center opened its doors to Young Remembrandts (YR), an international franchise that specializes in helping children 12 and younger to succeed in the classroom by “introducing concrete ideas and techniques that enrich their imaginations and their minds.” Ana Conneely, a YR instructor in the Greater Boston sector, enthusiastically led a group of elementary school students in a cartooning class.
Occupied by all boys, the room was uncharacteristically silent as they sketched their own versions of Conneely’s animated illustration. As she created her own rendition, Conneely stayed vocal and interactive. She prompted questions such as “How can we tell that [the cartoon] is feeling annoyed?”
One student responded: “Because of his furrowed eyebrows!”
Keeping in mind the importance of creativity on an individual level, she was also quick to remind the kids that the objective of the task was not to make it “perfect,” but instead to explore their own interpretation of the visual. At one point in the session, Conneely informed the kids, “not everybody’s drawings are going to look the same, and that is exactly why we’re here.”
By the end of the hour-long session, Conneely had helped the students see the value in their artistic capabilities. As they proudly gazed at their creations, the power of the pencil was validated in their eyes. “Do we get to take these home?” they asked excitedly.
“Yes, you can,” responded Conneely.
