There are times in education when it’s especially important to sit up straight and pay attention. One of those times is now. The arts programming in public schools across the nation, for years threatened by budget cuts and political shifts, is in great danger.
According to an NEA report, at-risk students who have access to the arts in or out of school also tend to have better academic results, better workforce opportunities and more civic engagement. Perhaps more than ever, innovative programs that breathe life into public education through the arts are needed. Take the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County as a prime example. The Center’s unique partnership with the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system, the fourth largest in the nation, has led to the development of Learning Through the Arts. This a successful model for how an institution can partner with its school district to create equal access for all to transformative arts experiences – with the potential to inspire others nationwide.
As part of this program, the Arsht Center developed Rock Odyssey, which puts a vibrant and theatrical spin on Homer’s Odyssey. More than 175,000 fifth grade students across the county have experienced Rock Odyssey at the Arsht Center for free since 2010. Each year, the Center buses in elementary school students to experience the musical. Prior to the show, teachers and students participate in workshops that provide curriculum learning tools that help maximize the experience.
“When working on programs for kids, it is critical to cater to their unique needs at each stage of development,” said Jairo Ontiveros, director for education and community engagement at the Adrienne Arsht Center. “Find what ignites that spark, and you’ve just planted the seed for a love of the arts.”
A Program That’s Really Taking Off
Making education come alive through Rock Odyssey is only the beginning. Its overwhelming success is driving an expansion of the Arsht Center’s Learning Through the Arts program. Set to take off in Fall 2017, a musical -- Kitty Hawk -- will bring the Wright Brothers’ pursuit of flight to thousands of seventh graders in the Miami-Dade Public School System, perhaps inspiring the next generation of engineers and innovators. Miami-Dade County Public Schools will integrate key learnings from the show into the seventh-grade curriculum to create a holistic experience.
“Kitty Hawk makes learning about Wilbur and Orville Wright’s historic first flight fun, entertaining and educational,” said John Richard, president & CEO of the Adrienne Arsht Center. “This unique performance goes beyond science, technology, engineering and math learning, in essence adding the ARTS to STEM education to make ‘STEAM’ and preparing our next generation of community leaders.”
More than ever programs such as this are needed to fuel and cultivate the next generation of inspired minds – the world’s next great artists, inventors and engineers.