Arts Enrichment

The Center for Arts Education (CAE) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that New York City public school students receive quality arts learning throughout their K-12 education. CAE provides residencies and workshops (both during and after school) in dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and digital media, as well as parent engagement and advocacy. It provides a limited number of programs to schools at reduced or no cost. CAE also brings performances to schools and provides professional development and curriculum guides.

ArtsConnection was founded in 1979 through a collaboration between the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Youth Bureau, and the New York City Board of Education. Among its other work, ArtsConnection offers in-school and after-school residencies in dance, music, theater, media, and the visual arts. Its programs are available to pre-K through high school students, including out-of-school programs and workshops for teens.

Education Through Music (ETM) partners with elementary, middle, and K-8 schools that serve predominantly students from low-income communities that lack sufficient resources for school-wide music education. ETM’s partner school program serves every student at these schools, including those with special needs. It provides comprehensive and sequential music instruction as a core subject for every child at its partner schools; provides ongoing training and professional development for music and classroom teachers; strengthens parent and school involvement; and provides support and guidance to principals to build long-term sustainability.

Marquis Studios provides arts-­in­‐education services to over 70 New York City public schools annually. It strives to develop a strong partnership between artists and teachers by providing arts programs to supplement traditional classroom teaching techniques. Each residency or workshop focuses on a specific visual or performing arts discipline — including theater, dance, puppetry, and architecture — selected by school staff and administration. Programs are adapted and customized to the appropriate age level and are available for grades K‐12.

Together in Dance is a dance education company that offers residencies, after-school programs, family workshops, and professional development for classroom teachers and teaching artists. Its programs are intended to develop both the arts and life skills of the participants.

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), is an arts education program that develops students’ critical thinking skills through studying and discussing works of art. In New York City, VTS serves Title 1 schools, dual-language schools, Empowerment schools, and schools whose missions include subordinating teaching to learning, and focusing on language and thinking.

Lincoln Center Institute partners with pre-K through high schools in the New York City area. Specially trained teaching artists work with classroom teachers to plan lessons around works of art, and to include imaginative learning practices across the curriculum. Schools can choose their level of involvement and costs vary.

Dancing Classrooms is a not-for-profit project of the American Ballroom Theater Company. An arts-in-education program teaching ballroom dance to the 5th, 8th and 12th grade students of participating schools, it not only teaches dance skills but also builds social awareness and self-esteem. The program currently operates in approximately 200 schools in the NYC area.

The Harmony Program is a nonprofit organization that provides after-school music education programs in underserved communities across New York City. The organization partners with schools and community centers to create intensive after-school programs that teach children to read music, play orchestral instruments, and perform in ensembles. 

For 35 years Studio in a School has created visual art programs for thousands of students in New York City’s public schools, from Pre-K through 12^th grade. Schools can choose an art residency or after-school class in a variety of media, including drawing, printmaking, collage, and sculpture; Studio in a School also offers long-term art programs for K-5 Title I schools. 

The VH1 Save the Music Foundation is an organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in America’s public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of each child’s complete education. The foundation provides grants of musical instruments to public elementary and middle schools that do not currently have an instrumental music program. To learn more about applying for a VH1 Save the Music Foundation grant, visit the “What We Do” subsection of the “About” section on its website.

ORGANIZATION

Cool Culture

Cool Culture's Citywide Cultural Access Program partners with schools to provide families with free admission to 90 world-renowned museums, gardens, and zoos throughout NYC! It produces family events and educational materials, in various languages, offering ideas for fun and educational museum visits and cultural experiences. It also offers 4 professional development workshops to support school staff throughout the year at various cultural institutions focused on family engagement.