P. O. Box 10069
Brighton Station
Rochester, NY 14610

Project UNIQUE

"To anyone who ever thought that public school art classes began and ended with construction paper and those infuriating stubby little scissors, Project UNIQUE is an exuberant, unstoppable howl of protest - an irrepressible voice shouting ‘think again'!" - Mario Cuomo, Former Governor of New York State, in presenting the 1994 New York State Governor's Award to Project UNIQUE. Project UNIQUE (United Now for Integrated Quality Urban/Suburban Education) was founded as a result of the racial riots in Rochester, NY, in the mid 1960's. Its goal was to unite community resources to develop innovative programs for Rochester's youth. For 50 years the organization has achieved this goal through research and practice in the field of arts-in-education. It addresses a wide range of student needs through partnerships with educators, parents, artists, and cultural organizations. UNIQUE: • Provides integrated arts experiences that promote student motivation to learn, positive interpersonal behaviors, and the acquisition of core learning skills. • Engages students in the creation of works of art. • Introduces students and their families to the resources of Rochester's cultural institutions. • Offers innovative teaching strategies through professional development for educators and teaching artists. • Generates systemic change in the culture of partner schools. Project UNIQUE's programs are designed around various arts concepts, curricular themes and learning skills. They generally include: short to long-term arts residencies; field trips to cultural institutions; performances by local and out-of-town artists; and professional development workshops. Examples of programs over the years have: • introduced students to the concepts and techniques of dance, music, theatre, poetry and visual arts. • improved student performance in skills related to English Language Arts (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through sound/music, visual arts, and museum experiences. • promoted intercultural understanding and appreciation of students from different backgrounds through dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and museum experiences. • brought students together from different school districts to explore personal and cultural identities through the arts. • explored our relationship to our physical, emotional, and cultural environments through diverse forms of literary expression. • integrated orchestral music with the instructional program for elementary students. • investigated social studies and science concepts through dance and media teams of artists. • linked schools with community service agencies through the arts. Project UNIQUE is always evolving and investigating innovative approaches to teaching and learning which leads to the ongoing development of new programs. Your support would help keep us on the cutting edge of arts-in-education.

We focus on: Arts and Culture, Education

Where we are: Monroe


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