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A pilot program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization,
the EIF Broadway Project brings the bright lights of Broadway to underserved schools, helping students
learn through participation in the arts.
The EIF Broadway Project will fund educational workshops for New York City Public School students, grades
4 through 8, that expose them to the art of musical theatre, its creation and performance. Once the workshops
are completed, the students attend a performance of the Broadway musical ANNIE. After the performance, students are treated to a Talk-Back Session in the theatre with the show's performers and production staff, pending their availability.
The workshops instill an appreciation for theatre in students while giving them a greater understanding of the culture and history of New York City. With the guidance of ANNIE's performers, students will be introduced to basic performance skills (acting, singing and dancing) and will be taught to collaborate as an "ensemble" for the good of the production. The workshops enhance students' life skills and preparedness for a successful career in the 21st century. "Arts-engaged low-income students are more likely than their non-arts-engaged peers to have attended and done well in college, obtained employment with a future, volunteered in their communities and participated in the political process by voting."* Let's give our stars of tomorrow a chance today.
*National Educational Longitudinal Survey (NELS 2009)
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Students with high involvement in the arts, including minority and low-income students, performed better
in school and stayed in school longer than students with low involvement, the relative advantage increasing
over the school years.
(The NELS:88 panel study followed 25,000 students over a ten year span and followed up with the same
students in 2009)
Students who were involved in arts education for at least nine hours a week were four times more likely to
have high academic achievement and three times more likely to have high attendance (Heath, 1998).
Education researcher Milbrey McLaughlin, while conducting a longitudinal study of the lives of youth in
low-income neighborhoods found that those who participated in arts programs were more likely to be high academic achievers, be elected to class office, and participate in a math or science fair (McLaughlin, 2000).
Arts-engaged low-income students are more likely than their non-arts-engaged peers to have attended and
done well in college, obtained employment with a future, volunteered in their communities and participated
in the political process by voting (NELS 2009).
A U. S. Department of Justice study reported participation in arts programming led to decreased delinquency
and drug use, increased self-esteem, and more positive interactions with peers and adults. Students who
experience success in arts appreciate the results of effort and persistence, and are more motivated to apply
themselves to other learning tasks (Israel, D., 2009).
Sustained engagement in a fine arts discipline gave high school students a substantial advantage in reading
and math achievement (Bransom et al., 2010).
For more information, visit these resources:
The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities report on Arts Education
Arts Education: Arts for LA
Americans for the Arts
Foundation Center Focus on the Arts
Edutopia
Do Something
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Student Learning Objectives:
Imagination and Analysis: Students will be introduced to, and explore:
- Contributing positively and participating responsibly in ensemble activities.
- Developing the ability to sustain concentration and focus with an ensemble of peers.
- Establishing an understanding of the audience/performer relationship.
- Receiving and responding to direction.
Performance Skills: Students will be introduced to, and explore:
- Using the body and voice as a means to express character.
- Students demonstrate the effects of the physical environment on behavior.
- Utilizing various vocal dynamics to explore and express thoughts and emotions.
- Identifying and applying a basic understanding of given circumstances to the work.
- Basic stage direction vocabulary.
Cognitive Recognition and Reasoning:
Students will research and identify the cultural and historic aspects of their respective neighborhoods
and New York City.
Classroom Session Activities:
Students will participate in ensemble activities designed to introduce the basic skills of acting, singing and dancing. The focus of the Classroom Sessions will be on the utilization of language, music, rhythms, and use of the physical body in storytelling and character development. Emphasis will be placed on integrating their knowledge and experience of New York City, while celebrating the NYC locations mentioned within the show ANNIE to foster an appreciation of their own neighborhoods and towns.
Talk-Back Session Activities:
Students will participate in a Talk-Back Session with performers and production artists in which they can ask questions pertaining to the production and experiences they have seen and shared.
For more information, visit EIFoundation.org
