Social Educational Impact of the Community Work: Experiences Gathered from a Children´s Creative Group “Ilustrando Sueños”

Abstract

Literature and visual arts for a long time, have placed a recurrent position in the cultural world of majorities, in the transformation of sensibilities, in the ways of interpreting realities, constructing imaginaries and identities. Both artistic expressions, integrated, can become an important educational tool for learning and empowerment.  This has been proved by the children arts group “Ilustrando Sueños” (Illustrating the Dreams) belonging to CreArte Sociocultural Community Project in Pinar del Rio city, during the 5 years of its existence. A qualitative study based on a systematization of different theoretical and methodological approaches related to social community work, was carried out by the authors to analyze the social and educational impact of this initiative on children, managers and community in general. Applying empirical scientific methods like the observation, interviews and questionnaires, the results that proved the great social educative impact the Project had in the community environment, especially in those who got learning benefits from this art education experience, including their promoters and managers, are presented in the article. The study also shows that outside the formal environment of the school, in specially created community spaces, the integration of literature and visual arts can encourage the aesthetic formation and personal development of children, becoming a powerful educational tool to develop their creativity and imagination, artistic and human values, reading habits, as well as a sense of belonging to community and nation.