Cal State Fullerton’s Center for Internships & Community Engagement continues the Titans of Community Engagement video series, which highlights high-impact service-learning activities across campus.
The seventh video highlights Creative Dance for Children, a course originally conceived and developed by Lisa Draskovich-Long, and currently taught by Joshua Estrada Romero in the Department of Theatre and Dance. This course introduces future educators and dance professionals to the power of movement as a teaching tool. Rather than treating dance only as performance, Creative Dance for Children emphasizes kinesthetic learning, using dance to reinforce academic subjects such as math, science and language arts. Students in the course work directly with elementary school children to integrate dance with classroom curriculum, offering a fresh way to make learning engaging and accessible.
Through the Titans After School Program, a partnership between the university and Buena Park School District that is supported by the Center for Internships & Community Engagement, students teach children routines, motor development skills and opportunities for self-expression through dance. By leveraging dance as an interactive medium, the activities encourage children to develop confidence, creativity and new ways to connect with academic material. Romero said that this “creates a space where children can say, ‘I have something to contribute.’”
For the CSUF students, the course provides the opportunity to gain experience in developing lesson plans, using teaching strategies and exposure to various educational environments. Students also shared that the experience sharpens their leadership abilities by requiring them to communicate clearly, manage groups effectively and remain flexible to different learning styles. Participating theatre and dance student Emmalee Idler said, “Instead of just thinking about the way that I learn things and how it works for me, there’s other people in the room who learn in a completely different way.”
For Romero, the course bridges two important goals: Preparing university students for their future careers while enriching the educational experience of local elementary children.
“Being able to provide that for my students, while they in turn teach younger students, is the most satisfying part for me,” said Romero.
To learn more about Creative Dance for Children, contact Romero at josromero@fullerton.edu. To learn more about the Titans Afterschool Program, contact the Center for Internships & Community Engagement at cice@fullerton.edu.