Youth & Family Programs
The Bascom's Education Department is committed to providing life-enriching experiences through comprehensive arts education for children and youth. We offer a variety of educational programs which include workshops, ongoing classes, Private Art Classes, field trips, demonstrations, and community classes, designed to meet the needs of young artists of all skill levels. Scholarships, sponsored by the Cullasaja Women's Outreach, ensure that all students can participate.

Private Youth Lessons
The Bascom offers private, personalized art experiences designed specifically for our younger artists in clay, drawing, painting or mixed media.

Take & Make
Take and Make offers “to-go” packets with accompanying print lesson plans and instructions, and online video tutorials that provide instruction and insight in to each project.
How Does It Work?
Download Lesson Plans
Click on the links below to download a lesson plan for on-screen reading and printing purposes.
- Lesson Plan 1: Learning About Water
- Lesson Plan 2: Leaves & Trees
- Lesson Plan 3: Paper Folding
- Lesson Plan 4: The World from Above
- Lesson Plan 5: Paper Planes in Flight
- Lesson Plan 6: Photography and Sun Prints with Deb Shannan
Please note that some files are larger than others and may take longer to download, depending on your internet connectivity.
The Fine Print
You will need a few basic art-making materials and tools of your own to complete most of the projects, but some basic materials will be available in the packet.
Instructions, helpful links, and suggested books are inside the kit. There are also video tutorials and other resources available on The Bascom's YouTube channel under the Take and Make playlist.
Make sure to share your projects on social media using #bascomtakeandmake.
Take and Make is made possible in part by funding from Cullasaja Women's Outreach and Wade Hampton Golf Club.

Mr. Bill vs The Box
Join Mr. Bill in his online art studio as he meets a new challenge in each episode, creating something out of the surprise materails he receives in his box.

Read2Me Story Walk
Located along The Bascom Nature Trail, and connected to the Highlands Plateau Greenway, the Story Walk offers the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while reading about "How Do You Wokka-Wokka"!
Temporarily Unavailable
In an effort to protect the health and safety of our youngest community, the following youth activities and art spaces are temporarily suspended or closed. They will resume once it is safe to do so. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
- The Bascom smART Space
- The Ruth Edkerd Children's Gallery
- All After School & Extracurricular Programs
- Hudson Library KID ZONE
Get Your Passport Stamped!
The Bascom is one of four (4) kid-friendly trails on the Highlands Plateau Greenway needed to complete the stamps in the Kids Hike Highlands Passport Program. Young explorers and natures lovers can hike our nature trail to get a stamp.
When all four stamps have been collected, participants may pick up a special prize located at either theHighlands Town Hall, Highlands Recreation Center, The Chamber of Commerce, The Library, or The Bascom. They also receive a "I Hiked Highlands!" sticker and pin.
Get moving today!
Downlaod the Activity Map or visit the Highlands Plateau Greenway website to learn more about the program and the trail system.
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Visit: 323 Franklin Road
Highlands, NC 28741 (Map It)
Call: 828-526-4949 (Main)
828-787-2892 (Ceramics Studio)
Funded in part by a grant from South Arts
in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.