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Your Generosity At Work – 2016-2017 School Year Highlights

September 6, 2017

Need some good news?
Read on to learn about a few of the great programs we delivered in 2016-2017.

Liz Kuwornu presents an award to teachers from Washington Elementary School in Trenton, NJ
Liz Kuwornu presents an award to teachers from Washington Elementary School in Trenton, NJ

Trenton Adopt-a-School Turns 10 and Hits $1,000,000 Raised Mark

The program reaches every kindergarten through 8th grade student in Trenton, every year. This school year alone, we provided programming in songwriting, theatre, classical music, storytelling, silkscreening, hip hop, poetry and spoken word, Latin percussion, ‘zines, and Calypso, addressing a variety of topics including character education, the Civil Rights Movement, literacy, environmental sustainability, botany, youth empowerment, and Latin American cultures. 

Civil Rights, Self-Confidence, and Hip Hop
Middle school students after their community performance at 13th Avenue School in Newark, NJ
Middle school students after their community performance at 13th Avenue School in Newark, NJ
Thanks to a generous grant from the James E. and Diane W. Burke Foundation, the artists of Hip Hop Fundamentals performed “Civil Rights Movements” to a packed audience at 13th Avenue School in Newark, NJ. Students learned about youth involvement in the American Civil Rights Movement then learned the dance moves in hip hop dance workshops. Finally, students shared their own choreography and breakdancing moves in a performance for the school community.
Middle school students after their community performance at 13th Avenue School in Newark, NJ
Middle school students after their community performance at 13th Avenue School in Newark, NJ

Engineers in Training

 
Students at Bridge Academy in Lawrenceville worked with visual artist Ben Pranger exploring design and engineering in their art studio. Using found and recycled material and 3-D printed parts, students created large-scale, wind-powered kinetic sculptures that were installed on the school grounds and will now serve as an outdoor classroom.
A mural created by students and artist Marilyn Keating at Grace Norton Rogers Elementary School in Hightstown, NJ
A mural created by students and artist Marilyn Keating at Grace Norton Rogers Elementary School in Hightstown, NJ

Uniting Around Creativity

 
Teaching artist Marilyn Keating led 5th graders and 2nd grade special needs students in a mural making partnership. Students selected a theme, sketched designs, created papier mache butterflies, and painted the mural. At the mural unveiling, students presented about designing and creating the mural.
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Ssuuna performed at St. Cyril of Alexandria in East Landsdowne, PA

Partnering to Bring Performances to Pennsylvania

 
Each year, Young Audiences partners with the Connelly Foundation to bring performances to schools in Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, and Bucks Counties.  This year, 4,595 Pennsylvania students experienced performances exploring a variety of topics including Chinese acrobatics, poetry, percussion, communication and teamwork, Ugandan culture, STEAM, the science of sound, hip hop dance, and more. After experiencing  Ssuuna’s Eda Ne Kakati (From the Past to the Present)exploring Ugandan music, dance, and traditions, the Principal at St. Cyril of Alexandria in East Landsdowne shared, “Ssuuna was a great performer! He incorporated character values and life lessons into the program. He kept the children engaged. It was a wonderful performance!”
See Young Audiences Teaching Artists in Action
Want more? Learn about the impact arts education has on students by visiting a Young Audiences program at a school near you. Contact Ann Betterton at
609-243-9000 ext. 205 for more information.