Arts & Crafts Programs

Meet Yolande van Heerden, Our Art Director

We are thrilled to introduce Yolande van Heerden, our talented Art Director at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Delta. Yolande, a well-known Greenwood art teacher, joined our team on September 1, 2023 bringing a wealth of experience and passion for nurturing creativity in young minds.

 
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  • Group of children holding decorated large Easter egg cutouts, with some children standing and some sitting, in a room with white walls.

    Crafting Memories, One Club at a Time

    Yolande has hit the ground running, collaborating with each Club's director and staff to tailor unique Arts & Crafts programs for our members. This spring, our members brought the season to life by painting vibrant murals and learning how thermometers work through hands-on art projects! Her goal is to inspire children to enjoy arts and crafts using readily available everyday items.

  • A young boy with a big smile holding up a colorful drawing of a hand with rainbow-colored fingers and a yellow sun on a white paper. Another girl in a red shirt is focused on her drawing at a table in the background. The setting has a bright yellow wall.

    The Montessori Touch

    A native of South Africa, Yolande brings a Montessori-inspired approach to her teaching. Emphasizing learning through hands-on experiences and having fun in the process, she believes in the power of arts and crafts to stimulate imagination, develop problem-solving skills, and encourage neuro connections.

    "To me, arts and crafts are not only fun and exciting. They stimulate our imagination, help to develop problem-solving skills, encourage neuro connections, help students to process their world ...," she said. Arts and crafts, she believes, "help us to connect to people like ourselves and different from us and enrich our lives, and help us to become better and fuller people."

  • A young boy sitting at a blue table, using a small roller to paint a paper with blue paint.

    Unwinding and Connecting

    Yolande's vision aligns with ours at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Delta. Children and teens served by our clubs arrive after a long day at school and need a space to unwind and express themselves. According to our CEO, David Dallas, it's a great situation for families. Arts and crafts provide a fantastic outlet for our members to relax, connect with peers, and develop essential life skills in the process.

Support Our Mission: Make a Difference Today!

Your contribution can make a lasting impact on the lives of the youth we serve at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Delta. By donating to our organization, you directly support programs like the arts & crafts, providing opportunities for inclusion, growth, and achievement.