In addition to artistic techniques, we teach art history. This includes the ancient roots of modern artistic techniques and tools and the development of artistic movements. We guide our young artists in viewing, describing, and analyzing art. We profile particular artists and their bodies of work so that participants understand the history and inspiration behind our studio art projects. Examples include the Nuyorican arts movement, mosaic art, the medium of comics, pop art, graffiti art, silhouette, and stained glass.

Through individual and collaborative creative writing projects, our budding writers learn the basics of Spanish-language grammar and spelling. They exercise their imaginations in creating characters and developing plots. They learn and practice techniques of grabbing and keeping the attention of their readers and persuasive writing. Most recently, our participants have imagined altering character actions and plot in books we've read. They've written back cover "blurbs" for proposed graphic novels, detailed character sketches, lively dialogue, poetry, and scripts.

VIDA's "Cultural Explorers" Club extends learning beyond the four walls of the classroom. We explore Long Island and New York City through group excursions to museums, parks, restaurants, theaters, and other businesses. Examples include the Center for Architecture, the MET, the Museum of the City of New York, the Nassau County Museum of Art, the Players Theatre, Town Hall, the Queens Theatre, Washington Square Park, and dozens of local restaurants and shops. 

We offer mini glimpses behind the scenes and into the lives of professionals across a wide range of careers. Our kids get to meet business owners. They get to ask artists, musicians, and writers questions about how they got their start and honed their crafts. They compare fields (like architecture and interior design).

We teach young people how to read and scale recipes, measure and combine ingredients, bake and cook, and present their kitchen creations artistically. Examples of skills include dicing and slicing, grating, grinding, and shredding, juicing, whisking, sautéing, and steaming. Through hands-on cooking experience, our young chefs explore the use of familiar and unfamiliar fruits, grains, vegetables, herbs, and spices. So far, we've explored flavor profiles and techniques from the Americas, Asia, and Europe.

Young people need lots of opportunities to move. We've introduced dance styles ranging from flamenco to waltz. Even the most reticent dancers come to appreciate the cultural richness of dance, gain self-confidence, and become more comfortable dancing independently or with a partner.