The mission of the Community Arts Center is to contribute to our communities through Artistic experiences and creative Collaborations. One of our primary principals is to assure that “Our programming will be appropriate to the diverse interests and educational needs of our regional audience and positioned to assure accessibility to all”. Our Educational Series is an integral part of the Community Arts Center’s programming, and we are deeply committed to supporting performance opportunities that enrich the educational experience for local students.

The Community Arts Center has been providing arts education programs to students since the 2007-2008 season.

As our relationship with the area school districts developed, we formed the Educational Series program for coalition schools in nine different central Pennsylvania School districts (known as the Lycoming-Sullivan Standards Coalition) to increase interaction and communication. These relationships ensure that the CAC’s education programs are meaningful to students and support the curriculum. As a result of continued communication, four broad subjects have been identified for each grade level of the Educational Series, and we work hard to align our programming choices around them:

– Grades K-3- we present a show based on Children’s Literature
– Grades 4-6- we present a show based on American History for a segment taught called “American Heroes.”
– Grades 7-9- we present a show based on STEM education
– Grades 10-12- we present a theater play that would appeal to Theater and English classes

At the start of each new season, as we begin to develop specific opportunities for student engagement in our Educational Series, the Community Arts Center includes the superintendents and curriculum coordinators from each coalition school to participate as decision-makers. As true stakeholders, they are provided a comprehensive list of proposed touring arts performances and are asked to offer their input. We have greatly enhanced the relevance of our performance programming as a meaningful educational experience for their students.

So far, for the 2019/2020 season, we have presented the wonderful children’s story, Pete the Cat, in live theater form in October. The overwhelming response required us to add another performance to accommodate and welcome thousands of students into our William J. Martin Theatre. The talented students of the Uptown Music Collective performed in November. Additional Educational Series performances will include Four Score and Seven Years Ago, a suspenseful musical which tells the story of Lemuel, an escaped slave in Georgia who unexpectedly befriends Jacob, a young Confederate soldier. The two men may be of different races and on different sides of the Civil War, but they have much to teach each other about bravery and loyalty. And in May, we will welcome GENTRI – The Gentleman Trio, three highly trained tenors who will perform their signature sound described as “Cinematic Pop.”

It is through great partnerships that the Community Arts Center has been able to provide many thousands of students (estimated 10,000 annually from nine public school districts) access to exceptional arts programming with performances by professional level artists. And it is the sincere belief of the Board and Staff at the CAC that when children are exposed to the arts, they take that appreciation and experience back to their families, opening up the opportunity for greater exploration together. This transport of the arts education experience adds life enrichment for all members of the family and the community as a whole. We are inspiring future generations of musicians and composers, as well as developing attuned and appreciative audiences.

In some cases, this is the first and possibly the only exposure for many of these students to professionally produced performance arts on a live professional concert stage. Because most performances are held during the school day, it is necessary to find assistance in absorbing the additional transportation costs which are not provided through school budgets.

For more information about the Community Arts Center, or how you can support their mission of Contributing to our communities through Artistic experiences and creative Collaborations, visit caclive.com or call Ana Gonzalez-White, Development Director at 570-327-7657.