Since 1993, The Norcom Community Center in Northeast Philadelphia has been a warm and welcoming environment for neighborhood children and adults. Sponsored by Special People in Northeast Inc, Norcom offers fitness and fun activities for all ages and abilities. While membership to the NCC is encouraged for discounts on fitness and creative classes, non-members can enjoy all of the family-friendly programs the facility has to offer.
Currently, the NCC is hosting a creative arts program for children and adults. The Children’s Fun Theme Ceramics workshop for children ages 6 and up, introduces young artists to a fun and creative past time. The program’s instructor, Liz Long, is a certified art teacher who values art education as a fundamental to self-expression. “Painting these ceramic pieces is a meditative practice for the kids,” explains Long. “There’s a strategy and planning in what they’re doing but there’s also a freedom to express themselves creatively without fear of being wrong.”
Laura Fekete, one of the program coordinators at the Norcom Community Center could also attest to the benefits of the facility’s creative programs: “The creative classes here are less formal and not as confined as traditional academic programs. We always like to ask children here ‘What would you like to learn about? What would you like to make?’ We combine interests and skills. And we’re really a family-positive place.”
Parents of children in the ceramics workshops certainly agree. While the kids are having fun with creative arts, the parents are in the gym just down the hall. And this is no coincidence. Laura Fekete explains, “We try to coincide our children’s creative classes with our adult fitness classes. We don’t have a daycare. We have organized events with fun things for the children to do, under trained supervision of instructors while the parents are benefiting from our fitness classes.”
From theatre arts, music and dance, cooking and creative art classes, there certainly isn’t a shortage of fun and educational activities for children at the Norcom Community Center. Parents of children with disabilities are especially encouraged to participate in these events. As the NCC is owned and operated by SPIN, Inc, the staff are especially trained with children of all abilities to work together in a team dynamic.
Liz Long, who is also a direct support professional for SPIN, is especially familiar with this all-inclusive policy. “Everyone can contribute. And with the ceramics classes, there’s less anxiety and that allows for more creative exploration. There’s even a sort of subliminal learning. There’s problem-solving and social skills involved.”
From the fitness classes to the creative and performing arts, Norcom truly is a center for the community, a place where all ages and abilities are welcome.
The Norcom Community Center is located at:
10980 Norcom Road
Philadelphia, PA. 19154
(215) 613-1070
Norcom class listings can be found in MacKid under: ACTIVITY: Arts & Crafts; Recreation. The price for these classes includes all the supplies. But register early as spots are limited.
For more information on the fitness, culinary and creative arts classes hosted at the Norcom Community Center, or how to become a member of the facility, visit their website at http://www.nccfun.org/
The author is freelance writer and blogger Jackie Jardine. You can find her blog at http://letsgothrifting.blogspot.com/ and her new Etsy business at http://www.etsy.com/shop/LetsGoThrifting. Please check out her listing in our Business Directory!
