SPECIAL NEEDS and CONSIDERATIONS 

Middle School Courses 

Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM

 Students in our programswill experience hands-on learning in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) education by rotating to a new course every two weeks. CHICAT families can choose any of the following programs to enroll their middle school student for the Fall! 

  

Design Lab: Storybook Pop-Up: Paper Sculptures

Students will develop their story-telling skills in a set of drawings that they use to project into 3D paper sculptures. Using repurposed books, students will design individual creatures or landscapes that will bring their story to life. The Pop-up sculpture will display in an art exhibition with their peers at the end of the session

 

Digital Lab: Intro into Graphic Design

Interested in creating awesome posters for Movies, Comic Books, or for Video Games and wished you had the design skills to make something similar? Students in this course will learn how to create eye-catching posters through Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Canva without previous experience in graphic design

 

3D Maker Lab: Digital Sculpting

Students in this course will create custom characters and creatures using Zbrush. This industry standard 3D software is used in everything from games to VFX in movies.

 

Available only on Fridays from 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Fun Fridays: Exploring STEAM through Play

Fun Fridays are a great way for youth to end their week as a reward for working hard! The kiddos deserve some time to socialize and explore various STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) based-proejcts! 

 

 

 

 

High School Courses

Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 4:30 PM - 6:30PM

These programs are funded by After School Matters. Students enrolled will receive a stipend. Space is limited. 

 

Digital Lab: Cut-Out Animation: Introduction to Animation

This class is focused on teaching student’s digital cutout style animation techniques, with scanned images and vector graphics. South Park is a notable example of the cutout-style.

 

3D Maker Lab: Creative Coding

Mix your tech and creative skills together to design and build electronic projects. Students will use lights, servo motors, Arduinos and more to bring their ideas into reality.

 

Design Lab: Unveil Yourself: Creative 3D Candles 

Using technical drawings, students will design a simple clay figure or object that will be molded into an environment for wax pours. They will learn about color theory and problem-solving complex ideas. The design will express their ideas of freedom through identity. Students will exhibit their work in a final display amongst their peers in Gallery 1701. 

 

To apply, visit https://www.afterschoolmatters.org/teens/apply/. Search for CHICAT's program and submit the application.

 

Students in enrolled in CHICAT's programs will participate in focus groups that are vital to our research, which include refining or modifying our current programs and resources.

Student feedback regarding our programs are very valuable to us, and any information youth provide will be used to improve future programs offered here at the Chicago Center for Arts and Technology (CHICAT).

Signin this consent form means that you voluntarily agreed to have your youth participate in a focus group following the guidance of the Discussion Leader. This form authorizes CHICAT to capture student feedback relevant to various topics. 

● Spoken statements

● Written statements, including drawings

● Comments extraneous to the topic as stated during the focus session

● Follow-up as described to me on the focus group information sheet.

● Ideas rendered, which are yielded into the research gathered today.

Feedback might be captured in any and all of the following formats:

● Audio recordings

● Visual recordings, including films, photographs, and audiovisual records

● Youth written statements

CHICAT is excited to safely return students and staff to in-person learning in September 2021. In order to facilitate a safe and healthy return, CHICAT has adopted the following Return to Class Policy applicable to all students and their caregivers.

I. Daily Health Screening Form. All caregivers are responsible for completing and submitting a Health Screening Form prior to the student’s arrival at CHICAT. Students will not be permitted entry into CHICAT unless the Health Screening Form has been received for that day and all responses are truthfully answered “no.” If a student responds “yes” to one or more of the health screening questions, he/she/they must be kept home and will not be permitted entry into CHICAT. If a student arrives and either the Health Screening Form has not been received or the student is exhibiting symptoms of COVID19, the student’s caregiver will be notified and must arrange for the student to be picked up or transported home at the caregiver’s expense. As a general rule, caregivers should not send a sick student to CHICAT under any circumstance.

II. Students Who Become Sick At CHICAT. If a student falls ill while at CHICAT, staff will remove the student from the classroom and isolate him/her/them in a private, closed room. Staff will then notify the caregiver that the student is unwell and must be taken home immediately. Caregivers are obligated to arrange for their child to be picked up from CHICAT and taken home as soon as possible but no more than 1 hour after CHICAT notifies the caregiver. CHICAT will call 911 if a student is experiencing a medical emergency (e.g. unable to breathe, loss of consciousness) before notifying the caregiver.

III. Contact Tracing. If a student tests positive for COVID-19, caregivers are asked to promptly notify Lisa Moultrie by calling (312) 733-1701 or emailing lisa@chicat.org. CHICAT may request to ask the student whom they had close contact with during the 48 hours before the diagnosis. CHICAT will then
notify all staff and students who had close contact with the student, without revealing the student’s name or identity.

IV. Face Mask Policy. When inside CHICAT, students must wear a face mask or face covering that covers the nose and mouth. If a student has a medical condition or disability that prevents them from safely wearing a face mask or face covering, the caregiver must notify CHICAT before the start of class. Students who arrive to CHICAT without a face mask or face covering will be provided a disposable face
mask for use that day.

V. Social Distancing. Classrooms have been configured to accommodate social distancing guidelines for K-12 schools. Students should generally remain 3-6 feet apart from other people inside CHICAT and should comply with any and all directional signs indicating one-way hallways or social distancing measures.

VI. Hygiene. Students should practice safe cough hygiene by coughing into the shoulder as opposed to the hands. Students should utilize hand sanitizer throughout the day and should wash hands frequently with soap and water.

VII. Cleaning and Sanitation. Students should contribute to the overall cleanliness of CHICAT by putting trash in receptacle bins, keeping desks clean and tidy, and cooperating with cleaning and sanitation measures that occur throughout the day. Students should promptly report spills or related accidents that impact the overall cleanliness of CHICAT.

VIII.COVID-19 Vaccination. CHICAT does not require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at this time. However, CHICAT encourages all caregivers to independently research the available COVID-19 vaccines and discuss the risks and benefits with their health care provider. If a student is or becomes fully-vaccinated, as defined by the Centers of Disease Control (“CDC’”), caregivers are encouraged (but not required) to disclose student vaccination status by emailing Lisa Moultrie at lisa@chicat.org. Fully vaccinated students will be permitted entry into CHICAT so long as they do not have symptoms of COVID-19 not attributed to another medical condition.

CHICAT strives to be transparent regarding its response to COVID-19 and return to in-person instruction. To the extent parents or caregivers have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Lisa Moultrie by calling (312) 733-1701 or emailing lisa@chicat.org.

CONSENT AND RELEASE

I consent to interviews, photographs, and audio and video recordings of myself (collectively, “Personal Images” I grant the Chicago Center for Arts and Technology irrevocable right to use, reproduce (whether through digital copying, photography, audio, and video recordings, or any other means), release, publish, transmit, distribute, exhibit, and/or display in any and all forms of media (whether existing or future, and whether in whole or in part) and in any and all manners, including (1) any or all of my artwork that is created at or through CHICAT, (2) any or all of the Personal Images, and (3) my name and likeness. The preceding consents are given for and limited to CHICAT’s activities as a non-profit institution. Such activities may include, without limitation, news articles, telecasts, webcasts, press releases, education, fundraising, marketing, advertising, and research. Such activities may be performed by CHICAT or CHICAT’s employees, agents, affiliates, partners, assignees, licensees, or designees.

I waive all rights to inspect or approve any uses that may be created under the preceding paragraph, or the use to which any of the materials may be applied. I waive the right to compensation by, through, or under CHICAT for any uses that may be created under the preceding paragraph. I agree that Personal Images and all other originals thereof shall constitute CHICAT’s sole property, with the full right of disposition in any manner whatsoever.

I release, discharge, and agree to hold harmless CHICAT, its agents, affiliates, partners, assignees, licensees, and designees, and all persons acting under its/their authority from any and all claims whatsoever in connection with the use of the materials as described in the first paragraph above. I certify that I either (a) am 18-years old and legally competent to execute this Consent and Release or (b) am under 18-years old and have the consent of my parent or guardian to execute this Consent and Release. I understand that the terms herein are contractual and not a mere recital, that this instrument is legally binding, that I have voluntarily signed this document, and that CHICAT is relying on this Consent and Release to perform the activities described in the first paragraph above. I have read this Consent and Release and am fully familiar with its contents.