Clogging, tie-dying, basket weaving, and tin can banjos! These were different stations at the first G.E.M.S. (Gifted Education in Mercer Schools) KY Arts Academy in Harrodsburg recently.  A collaborative effort with Mercer County Cooperative Extension Service, Gifted Talented resource teachers at Mercer County Schools, planned the cultural affair for GT students in grades 4-12 and invited GT students from Burgin Independent Schools.  The Academy was planned to expose students to Kentucky’s culture through a variety of hands-on activities.

During the planning stages, Extension staff and G.T. teachers secured local experts in different areas to include foods, storytelling, quilting, music, and basket weaving were secured to present. The school-wide chef and Mercer County food service manager, to assist with feeding everyone and include as many KY dishes as possible. A t-shirt was designed so that all the students could tie-dye their own shirt. Funding for the academy was provided through a grant from the Mercer County Foundation for Education.  To accommodate all the students and activities, the facilities at the Mercer County Extension office and the National Guard Armory were utilized. 

Students were grouped by grade level and participated in an assortment of educational activities. Each student learned to clog, designed, and painted a “barn quilt” tile, listened to local storytellers, watched a chef demonstration, tie-dyed a t-shirt, and heard from a local historian. High school students wove a small basket, middle school students learned to quilt, while 4th and 5th graders built a tin can banjo. After a fried chicken lunch, students tasted Ale-8-One soft drink, sampled Airheads candy, and enjoyed Derby Pie for dessert (all KY products). 

We hope to make this an annual event focusing on different themes. Each student completed a survey which will be used to measure the effectiveness and planning for next year’s GEMS Academy.