Arts & Culture
The Center for Creative Exploration provides artistic experiences for students throughout the year
In addition to their summer programming Pennsylvania College of Art & Design's CCE hosts classes and experiences to engage students and inspire future creatives.
The photo above was taken by Shalin Thomas.
Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s Center for Creative Exploration (CCE) offers a multitude of artistic opportunities for artists of all skill levels and ages. Well-known in the Lancaster community for their week-long summer camps and credit-bearing pre-college sessions, CCE offers a diverse and engaging lineup of classes throughout the year.
“We are always excited to offer even more classes and workshops throughout the year, especially for middle and high school students,” shared Natalie Lascek, Executive Director of CCE. “It’s a great way for students to explore their creative interests or for those who want more time for art exploration than what is available in their regular curriculum.”
With less intensive options than their summer programming on evenings and weekends to accommodate school schedules, CCE provides valuable ways for these students to collaborate with their peers in an environment that encourages problem-solving and ideation.
Scholarships are available with a recommendation from school faculty or a community connector to increase accessibility for all students to join in, and local students can even explore dual enrollment at PCA&D.
Classes for students are divided by age, with Young Artist classes serving grades 1-9 and Pre-College serving grades 9-12, which gives students a chance to experience a more college-like setting.
“Many of our Pre-College classes are taught by PCA&D professors or alumni of the college, which gives students space to ask questions and explore paths for their future,” Natalie added.
Students who are 16 years old and up can also opt to sign up for adult classes, which provides typically hard-to-find opportunities for parents to participate in an intentional activity with their high-school-aged children.
No matter how you and your students engage with CCE, it is an incredible community resource where everyone is invited to try out new media, build skills, and more deeply explore areas of artistic interest.
“My favorite thing about this class was that my child learned a new skill and developed a new interest!”
– Parent of Past CCE Student
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