**At this time, all in-person Claymobile session are suspended through June 12 (last day of school for PSD). Learn more about The Clay Studio's response to COVID-19.

Claymobile to Go!

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"Clay" Kits to Go

Our "Clay Kits to Go" are available for pick up or mail. Each kit includes air dry clay, paint, brushes, and an activity sheet which includes a sketching activity and step-by-step project instructions. A YouTube video demonstrating how to use the kit will also be provided. Kits are available at $7 per person for pick ups or one-location drop off, or $10 per person for mailing.

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Workshops to Go

For our "Workshops to Go," students can borrow a clay tool kit and clay for an at-home Claymobile lesson. Students will meet for a virtual class with a Teaching Artist who will lead them step-by-step through the lesson. All tool kits and projects will be returned to The Clay Studio. Fired projects will be delivered to the sites, or made available for pick up, within 2 weeks. A video recording of the class will also be provided. $200 per session for up to 20 kits. Additional kits will be $10/kit (maximum of 30 participants per session).

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Weekly Residencies to Go

"Weekly Residencies to Go" can range from 2 to 6 weeks in length. Each week will include a different crafting lesson. We can do sessions with simple materials found at home or session materials can be picked up from The Clay Studio, or dropped off to a central location for participant pick up for an additional fee. Each weekly session includes a virtual lesson with a Teaching Artists who will walk participants step-by-step through the project. A video recording of the class will also be provided. $200 per session for up to 100 participants. If you would like to use our supply kits, 15 kits are included in the $200 fee and additional kits will be $10/kit (maximum of 30 participants per session).

For questions or to schedule, please contact Megan Millman Lasiter at megan@theclaystudio.org.

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New Resources from the Claymobile!

Claymobile Lesson Plans, Classroom Posters, and more!

The Claymobile team has put together a variety of resources including classroom posters, handouts, lesson plans, and vocabulary sheets. We are constantly updating the available resources, so check back often!

View Lesson Plans
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How it Works

  1. Fill out our online form to request Claymobile for a residency (a 90-minute lesson once a week for 6 to 12 weeks) or a one-day workshop.  

  2. Claymobile sends you a teaching artist, an assistant, and all the supplies and materials needed for the lesson. 

  3. You provide a classroom teacher, after-school leader, or faculty or staff member to be present and engaged at each class and oversee activities. 

  4. We ask that you provide the space, tables, and chairs for the lesson, as well as access to a source of water. 

  5. The teaching artist leads comprehensive lessons designed specifically for the age and ability of students and the goals of your organization. The students learn the basics of building with clay, and their imagination and confidence grow. 

  6. Students construct their artwork onsite; then we transport it back to The Clay Studio for firing. 

  7. We deliver the finished artwork back to your site, and students can enjoy and show off their masterpieces.

     

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Program Details

Claymobile Program Options

  • Claymobile residency program: A series of weekly ceramics classes that last 6 to 12 weeks, led by a professional ceramic artist and assistant, that are hosted at your school or organization.

  • Claymobile workshops: One-time classes that are hosted at your school or organization.

  • Claymobile events: Activities hosted by the Claymobile at community events and festivals.

Financial Information

Subsidized rate: The majority of our partners qualify for a subsidized rate of $200 per Claymobile session. This rate is available to schools and organizations that serve an economically disadvantaged population (75% or more of the constituents are classified as having an economic disadvantage). Sliding scale rates are also available.

Fully subsidized wait list: If your organization is unable to pay $200 per class, you may request to be put on the wait list to receive full funding for a Claymobile residency (series of classes). It can take 6 to 24 months for fully funded residencies to become available, and we cannot guarantee funding. We are happy to brainstorm other funding ideas and support you in your independent fundraising efforts.

The full cost of operating Claymobile is $530 per class. We are grateful to our supporters who make subsidizing our classes possible.

Claymobile Curriculum

We strive to meet your goals and needs by offering four curriculum options:

  • Creative Clay works as an “open arts” program, where projects are determined by students’ age and ability. Students will be led through a variety of functional and sculptural handbuilding projects that focus on creativity and self-expression. Students learn the basic techniques, such as coil-building, slab-making, pinching, attaching wet clay through the “slip and score” method, glazing, underglazing, and cold finish decoration.

  • S.T.E.A.M. invites students to explore projects in science, technology, engineering, and/or math while creating artwork. Past examples include creating and studying fossils and volcanoes, floating boats, and exploring clay expansion before and after kiln firing. You can choose to focus on one or two portions of S.T.E.A.M. or can opt for a sampler that would touch on all areas.

  • Collaborative Clay allows classroom teachers and staff members to work with Claymobile staff to develop curriculum with areas of focus in world cultures, literature, social justice, or art history. This collaboration would include an academic focus on these subjects in the classroom outside of Claymobile lessons.

  • Claymation challenges students to develop storyboards, imagine characters, and write dialogue while creating objects and characters using Plasticine clay. Students advance their literacy through narrative storytelling while incorporating technology to create stop-motion mini-films.

All Claymobile lessons complement/adhere to the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities.

Claymobile Partners

We partner with many types of organizations, including:

  • Schools in Philadelphia, Camden, and Delaware Counties

  • Any pre-K through 12th-grade classroom, including science, social studies, and art classes

  • After-school programs

  • Summer camps

  • Community centers

  • Senior centers

  • Social services centers

  • Juvenile justice centers

  • Community events and festivals

Class Size

The Claymobile is able to work with groups of up to 33 students. 

Schedule

The Claymobile program holds classes all year long. Classes are available to be scheduled 7 days a week. Classes are typically 90 minutes long.    

Location & Supplies

We come to you. Your organization simply needs to provide:

  • An invested adult to oversee the activities

  • A room with tables and chairs

  • A source of water

 

Claymobile provides:

  • A professional teaching artist and assistant

  • All needed supplies and materials for ceramics

  • Tarps and canvas for tables

  • Storage for all supplies (we’ll transport materials to and from your location, so you don’t need to store anything onsite)    

Download a Printable Flyer

Download a .pdf of our current flyer and print it out on any copier. Very handy to have — share it with others! Double-sided 8 1/2 x 11 in document.

Claymobile Newsletters

Spring 2020 Newsletter
Winter 2020 Newsletter
Fall 2019 Newsletter
Summer 2019 Newsletter
Spring 2019 Newsletter
Winter 2019 Newsletter
Fall 2018 Newsletter

Thank you to our 2018-19 Claymobile partners!

11th Street Health Services
Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy
Al-Buston Seeds of Culture
Art-Reach
Asian Arts Initiative
Beech Jazz on the Ave Music Festival
Belmont Academy Charter School
Better Tomorrows
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Bright Moments - Adult Medical Day Care
Calvary Chapel Word of Life
Camp PALS
Cecil B. Moore Library
Children's Village
Christ the King School
Congreso
Craft NOW
Creative Minds Childcare
Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School
Diversified Community Services - Intensive Prevention Services
Drexel University - Campus Activties Board
Drueding Center
Edwin M. Stanton School
Easter Seals
Eastwick Library
Education Works
Fredrick Douglass Stubbs Elementary School
Freire Charter School
General George G. Meade School
Girls Inc.
Henry A. Brown School
Hill College House (UPenn)
Inglis House
InnovAge
Inquiry Charter School
James Logan School
James R. Ludlow School
John B. Kelly School
John Moffet School
John Welsh School
General Philip Kearny School
Kensington Creative & Performing Arts High School
Kensington Library
Kensington High School
KIPP Philadelphia Elementary Academy
Lawncrest Library
Lenfest Center
Lutheran Settlement House
Make Art Philly
Masonic Village of Lafayette Hill
Mastery Charter School - Fredrick Douglass Elementary
Mastery Charter School - Molina Elementary
Mastery Charter School - Pickett Campus
Mastery Charter School - Mastery Prep Elementary
Mercy Neighborhood Ministries of Philadelphia, Inc. 
Museum of the American Revolution
Night Market Philadelphia
Nilsa I. Cruz-Perez Downtown Branch
National Museum of American Jewish History
Norris Square Community Alliance
OIC Philadelphia
One Bright Ray Community High School
Philadelphia Arts Education Partnership
Philadelphia Children's Festival
Philadelphia OIC
Philadelphia Science Festival
Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Please Touch Museum
Project HOME
Queen's Village Neighborhood Association
Saint Albert the Great
Science Leadership Academy Middle School
Somerset Academy Early Learning Center
Spring Garden School
St. Helena - Incarnation Catholic School
St. Matthew School
St. Gabriel OST
St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church
St. Stephens Day Care
Stephen Girard School
Take Back Your Neighborhood
The City School
The Friendship Circle
The Salvaiton Army Greater Philadlephia
The Woodlands
UMASD Extended Day
Wawa Welcomes America
West Oak Library
Western Learning Center
William C. Bryant School
William H. Hunter School
Women Against Abuse
Woodbridge Place
Woods Services

Community Impact

Many children and adults in the Philadelphia region lack access to arts experiences in their schools and neighborhoods due to budget constraints, a focus on achievement testing, and the stressors of poverty. We need your support to continue to make a positive impact on the opportunity gap for youth right in our communities. 

Donate Now

The Claymobile Story

The Clay Studio is rooted in the belief that all people deserve access to high-quality arts education, and assumes a strong responsibility to engage all segments of its local community.

Since 1994, Claymobile, our award-winning community engagement program, has collaborated with schools, neighborhood organizations, and other social service agencies throughout the Philadelphia region to create innovative, hands-on approaches to learning in a safe and supportive environment. Today, the Claymobile is recognized as one of the most cost-effective arts education opportunities in the region, and serves as a model for similar programs offered around the country.

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3k

K-12 students served each year by Claymobile

90%

Claymobile residencies partnering with schools and organizations that serve at least 75% of students with economic need

75%

students in the U.S. who have never had any formal art education (source: NEA)

$25

donation supports a Claymobile class for one student

Community Engagement Manager