Gena Wikstrom
Students and staff from Desert Edge High School were hosted in January by the Ceramics Club on a field trip to PebbleCreek (PC). Twenty students were identified by the director of the high school Ceramic Department to participate in a one-day class at the Creative Arts Center. The experience was a multi-faceted success for the high school students, the members of the Ceramic Club, and the PebbleCreek community.
The students completed a brush technique bisque project led by Certified Ceramics Instructor Kelli Frederickson. We were pleased that the school principal participated again this year, as well as the community outreach manager and two art instructors. Their attendance reinforced the importance and value of this event for the students.
In 2024, the Ceramic Club of PebbleCreek invested in a partnership with Desert Edge High School, Goodyear, to expose students to the creativity that ceramics offers and we’re pleased for the opportunity again this year. The field trip allows students to not only learn new techniques, but, equally important, to experience the PC community, an environment much different for many of the students.
Many of the selected students were from low-income households and this collaboration provided those individuals with an experience they otherwise may not enjoy. The event was an emotional and cultural exposure that encouraged educational growth in art. In fact, the director has reported that the students who participated last year excelled in not only the advancement and engagement of their ceramic art, but overall improvement in academic studies.
The Ceramic Club of PebbleCreek was honored to again host students from Desert Edge High School and we thank the HOA for their support to make the field trip a reality. We continue our belief that students involved in any form of art have an increased performance outcome that carries them through high school and beyond. We also believe that exposure to ceramic art will encourage creativity as a life-long craft for students who participate in this program.