In April 2024, a group of first-year scholars and our MD Traditions Artist in Residence, Gaia, visited the Maiden Choice School to facilitate a Sidewalk Chalk Mural workshop. Gaia was greeted with a welcome banner decorated by the students in Ellen Cahoon’s art class. Music was playing in the background, highlighting the sunny weather. We brought many different chalk colors, and Ellen had snacks for everyone.
The Maiden Choice students created figures or colored-in drawings by the scholars, with Gaia creating connecting elements throughout. It was exciting to see the engagement between the students and our scholars and how they communicated with each other through color and drawing.
“Thank you so much for today! Our staff and students had a blast, and bus time was extra fun for everyone to see the beautiful mural. You and your scholars were so positive, and it was such an honor to meet and work with Gaia. He is so humble! It was a pleasure working with you, and I hope we can partner with your program again soon.”
Ellen Cahoon, Art Teacher, Maiden Choice School
Maiden Choice School is a public separate day school that provides programs for children ages 3 to 21 with significant cognitive disabilities. Their educational programs are designed for students who require a comprehensive special education setting for the entire school day. Instructional areas include academics, personal management, career/vocational training, recreation/leisure, communication, and social skills. Instruction for each student is tailored to meet his/her individual needs. Maiden Choice School places an emphasis on using research-based techniques that have proven to be successful for students with autism, developmental disorders, and multiple disabilities.