In Harmony Therapeutic Services is proud to partner with the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning (CAL) in support of their mission to ignite student learning, creativity, and success through the arts. CAL accomplishes this by using the arts to create innovative learning experiences, close learning gaps, teach creative thinking and problem solving, and help students succeed in school, in their first jobs, and beyond. In Harmony currently offers a preschool program called Move and Groove as well as individualized music therapy residencies at several schools within the Cleveland Metropolitan School District network.
In 2019, as part of this partnership, In Harmony’s Executive Director, Alicia Hrubey worked with CAL to develop Musical Sprouts, an arts-integrated residency program that uses music enrichment, academic exploration, and social-emotional skill building to prepare preschoolers for kindergarten. Alicia worked in collaboration with CAL staff and other community partners to develop three modules on pre-literacy concepts, number concepts, and animals. All three of these modules feature original songs and experiences created by Alicia and are directly tied to Ohio’s Early Learning and Development Standards.
Unique to Musical Spouts are materials for both teachers and parents that can be accessed via CAL’s website to ensure children are learning the cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development necessary for kindergarten readiness. Additionally, Musical Sprouts features two modules in Spanish (developed by Carolina Borja) to promote multilingual learning.
Alicia continues to provide training to CAL teaching artists who may present this program. As part of this training, Alicia works with the teaching artist to give input on how to adapt the program for children with special needs. Musical Sprouts is part of the CAL Sprouts Program, which offers additional modules in dance, digital arts, and illustrative arts. Musical Sprouts is currently being offered across the greater Cleveland area.