[Jewelry making - Article 00843] - Re: [Orchid] Artist, Designer Education

[E. Luther]

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>         I wonder how to begin a mentor program to involve both
>     minority children as well as their parents. It is time to open this
>     up to all human beings. 

    Go where the kids are already.  Gather up your fellow rock hounds
    and create a "speakers bureau."  Create an "activity in a box," I
    mean an actual Rubbermaid box. 

    Advertise to places like Boys and Girls Clubs that are successful in
    the inner city, and offer to send in your volunteers. 

    Create flyers and put them at the local council offices of the Girl
    Scouts of the USA and Boy Scouts of America. 

    To be really successful, research their badge requirements for both
    Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.  Junior Girl Scouts has an "Art to Wear"
    badge, for example, that has as one of its options having a jeweler
    come in to explain casting or another process.  (For more
    information on Girl Scouts, see http://www.GirlScouts.org, or write
    to me.) 

    Work with the YMCA.  They do a lot of things with kids during the
    school day. 

    Develop relationships with the staff there, so they really know what
    you have to offer and will tell the volunteers who work directly
    with the kids. 

    It's not hard, it just takes time.  Very grant fundable, though.
    Ideal for rock societies and metals guilds.  No need to create new
    organizations, just need someone to bring people together. 

<edit> Message combined </edit>

    I would like every Girl Scout Council in the US to have a "program
    box," for leaders to check out which would have the information in
    it, in a ready to use and easy to understand way, the stuff needed
    to complete the "learn about casting" requirement for the Junior
    Girl Scout "Art to Wear" badge. 

    (Junior Girl Scouts are 4th, 5th, 6th grade.) 

    Here's what is needed: 

    - a rubber mold of something easy to visualize, like a ring 

    - a wax shot from that mold.  One to be glued down so it won't
    break, and extras for the girls to actually feel and touch. 

    - a fresh rough casting made from that wax, including sprue.  Metal
    type doesn't matter, the cheaper the better 

    - a finished piece of jewelry from the same mold. 

    - a video actually showing the process of casting would be terrific.
    the shorter the better. 

    - and some pictures to be put on a small poster and laminated.  For
    these images to be provided by, oh, I don't know, a large supplier
    who already has the pictures, would be great. 

    I hereby volunteer to coordinate this project. 

    My first step will be to determine how many Girl Scout councils
    (local offices) there are in the US. 

    I invite anyone who wishes to to duplicate the project for something
    rock hound related, or the same project for Girl Guides in other
    countries, to do so. 

    I am not excluding boys, I just have no experience with Boy Scouts
    of America.  I happen to have extensive experience with and
    knowledge of Girl Scouts of the USA, and therefore find it easy to
    work with them. The Art to Wear badge is particularly popular as
    well, so this would be a program box that would get used. 

    To keep it simple, I guess it would be easiest if one person or
    company donated the items in a group: the mold, the waxes, the rough
    casting and the finished casting. 

    If you would like to make this donation to a not for profit agency,
    I'm sure that can be worked out, either through Girl Scouts
    directly, or perhaps through a metals guild. 

    If appropriate, perhaps the Ganoksin Project could somehow be a
    co-sponsor. 

    Please contact me off list and I will provide you with my address if
    you would like to participate. 

Thank you.
Sincerely,
Elaine
Elaine Luther
Metalsmith, Certified PMC Instructor
http://www.CreativeTextureTools.com
Hard to Find Tools for Metal Clay

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