Students at School 21 from the Paterson Public Schools visit William Paterson University

On April , 2023, middle-school students (Grades 6, 7 and 8) and their teachers from Paterson School 21 visited William Paterson University for an all-day field trip funded by the WP Dodge Foundation Grant. 

Their day included a gallery visit to the Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts to view the exhibition: El Cartel/The Poster: Puerto Rican Graphics. followed by a hands-on printmaking activity.  In addition, they visited the WP Cheng Library for a presentation on STEM there followed by hands-on STEM activities. This visit combined visual arts, science and technology and provided an introduction to university culture for students entering high school in the fall of 2023. Half of the students were bilingual students, and the leading art teacher, Ms. Raquel Ford, translated simultaneously the entire sessions to Spanish. 

Above: Students observe prints with Gallery Director, Casey Mathern, who gave them a tour of this exhibition. El Cartel/The Poster: Puerto Rican Graphics-is a selection of printed posters created by leading Puerto Rican and Nuyorican printmakers between 1960 and 2013. 

Afterwards, they moved to an art room and created works inspired by themes in the exhibition with Nadia Estela, workshop leader and gallery coordinator.

Above: Paterson School 21 Students create prints in the hands-on workshop given by Nadia Estela inspired by themes in the art exhibition.

Above: Students migrated to the WP University Commons Building for the next leg of their tour where they caught a glimpse of student life. They visited the bookstore and ate their lunch there as well.  In the afternoon students walked to the WP David & Lorraine Cheng Library where an extensive learning lab is located.

Above: Art Teacher Raquel Ford (left) and WP PIR Darlene Rankin (right) talk to the students at the Design Build and Learn Lab, part of the 

WP RIT/Department of Research and Technology.

Above: Students visited the Design Build and Learn Lab where they also engaged in hands-on STEM activities.

WP Digital Collaboratory

https://www.wpunj.edu/cohss/digcollab/

Above:  Paterson School 21 students, teachers, and WP PIR all  pose for a photograph outdoors on the WP Campus.

Students at School 9 from the Paterson Public Schools visit William Paterson University

On March 30, 2023, 30 eighth graders and their teachers from Paterson School 9 

visited William Paterson University for an all day field trip. This visit exposed the students 

to the arts in two forms: visual art and music, social studies and an introduction to 

university culture. This group of students will enter high school in the fall of 2023.

Above:  The group pose for a photograph outdoors on the WP Campus.

Above:  Their first stop was the Power Art Center at WP where they toured the Center for New Art that features a lab where students can use 3D printers and giant carving robots to create life-size artwork. 

Above: Paterson students experiment in front of the the screens at the Power Art Center.

Above:  The Center features other technology for WP students including: a CNC gantry mill, a laser cutter, and a wealth of software in the computer lab to create 3-D art. 

Next they visited an art exhibition at the Power Art Center (see below).

Above:  School 9 students observe and discuss art works in the William Paterson Student Photography Exhibit.  LINK. The exhibition, Telling Stories, was curated by Robin Schwartz, Professor of Photography. It features 20 large prints taken by students in three photography course levels: Photography I, Photography II, and Advanced Photography.

Next students walked to Shea Center for the Performing Arts where they visited WP music students rehearsing in choir and jazz ensembles.

         Later they went to the WP Center to visit the bookstore and for lunch (see below).

Above Students pose for a photograph in front of the WP Student Center.

Below:  Students then went to the to main auditorium at WP Shea Center for the Performing Arts  to listen to and view a musical performance.

This field trip day was a great success!