On Thursday, July 18, high school students from Philadelphia and New Jersey visited Moore College of Art & Design with Girls Inc. for a day of exploration and artistic fun.
Students received a tour of the College and heard from Moore’s Admissions team before visiting The Galleries at Moore and Connelly Library for a character design activity. They were also treated to a color theory workshop with assistant professor of Illustration Chris Williams.
Lillian Knoerzer, Partnership Manager at Girls Inc., shared how students benefit from Moore’s growing relationships with nonprofits in the region.
What excited you most about Moore's personalized art education?
Having a dedicated [historically women’s] art and design school right in the heart of Philadelphia is a great resource for our students. I think it makes the city more well-rounded.
It’s a resource for our students interested in these fields. Moore’s inclusive culture, which is geared towards women, nonbinary students, and gender-nonconforming students, aligns perfectly with the groups that we serve, too.
Girls Inc. is all about providing students with rich experiences that shape successful futures. How does Moore’s mission align with those values?
Moore’s mission aligns perfectly with Girls Inc.’s mission to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold – we work with girls from the age of five through and beyond their college years to make sure they are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to be successful adults.
Through our Project Accelerate initiative, we also provide young women with career exploration and professional development. Moore ensures that its graduates are ready to emerge as successful adults.. That’s what Project Accelerate is all about: providing young women with the knowledge, training, and resources they will need as professionals.
What do you hope the students who visit Moore will gain from this experience?
We call it our College and Career Exploration Camp. We’re excited for everything they’re doing during the visit, like working on creative activities in The Galleries and Connelly Library. I hope they get a better idea of Moore’s culture—I think the fact that it’s historically a college for women is a big benefit to them.
I work with our high school-aged interns; they always feel more comfortable when they see women in a new space. It helps them envision themselves in that space.
How do collaborations between nonprofits like Girls Inc. and institutions like Moore benefit education and career development for students in the region?
Collaborating with our local colleges and universities introduces students to a variety of academic settings, allowing them to further explore what feels right for them.
We want them to ask themselves, “What type of environment is helping me thrive? What different fields of study might I want to explore?” These questions help them ignite their imagination when interacting with students and faculty. These experiences go beyond reading a brochure—it’s about being on a campus, getting to ask questions and get answers that will help them achieve their career goals. It’s about seeing young women succeeding.
In collaborations like these, everyone wins. Moore benefits from our unique participants, who may decide to enroll in a few years, while Girls Inc. gets a diversified and strengthened relationship with Moore. Our students are able to see themselves in post-secondary spaces and meet new people who want them to succeed, and learn about new areas of study. That could be a “Eureka!” moment for them as they develop their plans for the future.
Moore College of Art & Design is the only independent art and design college in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Want to learn about Moore? Contact our Admissions team at enroll@moore.edu or 215.965.4015 to set up a call or a campus visit. We’d love to tell you more!
