You are opening Court’s doors to students across the South Side!
The generous gifts of Court donors like you are already being put to work as Court’s new Director of Education Patrese McClain plans for the upcoming school year. And thanks to the generosity of the Betty Lou Smith Fund, all the increased, new, and additional gifts received in support of Court’s Education Initiative have been matched and doubled!
Read on to learn about progress already being made in Court’s Education Initiative programming. This is all possible because of your support!
Court will be expanding the Artists-in-the-Schools (AIS) Residencies to three additional South Side high schools this fall. Additionally, the Education team will be piloting short term AIS Residencies. While the typical residency is between twelve and fourteen sessions, these short term residencies will last between six and eight sessions. These briefer residencies will offer schools greater scheduling flexibility, while allowing Court to reach more students.
Community Solutions programming continues to develop as well. This spring Patrese conducted a pilot College Admissions workshop, offering assistance to students as they worked on auditioning and applying for college admissions and scholarships. She plans on expanding these workshops into multiple schools in the coming Season.
This Season, Court welcomed 2,193 high school students at Student Matinees performances.
Patrese has plans to engage even more students through matinees next Season. She’s meeting with teachers and administrators to find new and engaging ways to integrate Court’s work into classrooms outside of the English and Theatre Departments. She hopes to use Frankenstein and Photograph 51 next Season as pathways into Science classes.
This is the impact of your gift: bringing theatre and arts into the lives of students across the South Side.
Your support gives Patrese the resources she needs to expand current programs and introduce new initiatives that address the needs of our students. You are impacting the lives of youth across the South Side, during the formative and critical time of self-discovery and learning that is high school.
Thank you for making this investment in Court and in our South Side students. We can’t wait to share more news with you when the school year begins, and keep you updated on all the exciting moments that your gift has made possible.
To read more about Court’s Education Initiative, and to make a gift in support of these programs, click here.