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I found this article while mucking around the internet and I think it is a wonderful idea to help poverty stricken kids and kids with learning disabilities.



At the Buffalo City School District many of the students are considered at risk for learning due to severe behavior and emotional problems.
For the most part, their survival mode behaviors and habits are a product of living in impoverished homes without educationally supportive parents, guardians or role models.

At a public school in Buffalo, New York, 96% of students are minorities and 98% of students are eligible for the New York State Free Lunch Program.

A few years ago a small pottery wheel program was started up through a grant from the Allentown Village Society.
They had seven pottery wheels but hardly enough clay to satisfy the high demand of students who were interested in participating.

Many students who have used the pottery wheels have admitted that the experience helps them to relax and rid themselves of built up anxiety.
In addition, making pottery provides them with a unique and memorable art making experience.

Numerous research studies have shown that students who are active in art and music activities become more motivated to excel in core content areas such as Math, Science and English.
Most importantly, some of the students just needed to participate in something that they could enjoy and succeed in.
In the past year this pottery program has been used as a motivational strategy for individuals who have difficulty focusing on their work or have behavior challenges.
It is a "if you do this, then you get that" approach.
Most of the kids really want to participate in the making pottery experience, so the effort and behavior incentive has proven to work very well.

I can't remember exactly what the saying is, but it went kinda like this, an idle mind is the devils workshop.
Anyway something like that, but this program looks like it makes the saying more believable.

I personally think that every community should have a program like this.
A program like this could well be funded by private donations, so as not to use up much needed school monies.
I bet there are people out there, either professional or hobby pottery or ceramic artists that would be willing to help guide the youngsters that want to participate.