“Learn Your Lessons Well”.jpg)
PS Broadway is where we reach the largest numbers of students and affect the broadest level of change. Each school’s entire 5th grade receives an in-depth exposure to the theatrical arts in the heart of the city where Broadway was born.
The fifteen-week in-school program consists of instruction in music and dance, offering students an overview of the American musical theater. As students learn song lyrics and are introduced to the cultural context of Broadway productions, these lessons are integrated into the study of core curriculum subjects such as language arts and history.
A Closer Look…
Every fifth-grade class at each participating school meets for one hour weekly and is conducted by professional teaching artists. Live music accompanies instruction in vocal music, dance, and basic music theory, which leads to the mastery of a song and dance from the Broadway repertoire.
Diverse guest artists from the Broadway community visit schools and perform for students, giving the students insight into what being a working professional requires, and serving as positive role models.
Bringing the lessons to life, each class takes a trip to the Great White Way to see a Broadway show, after which students participate in a question-and-answer session with performers, directors, conductors, and members of the production’s technical staff.
The grand finale is an end-of-semester performance by students of a song and dance from the Broadway repertoire, attended by peers and parents. This event is especially significant for students who are English Language Learners (22% of participants). Memorizing and comprehending the lyrics to a Broadway show tune and performing the song on stage is a formidable accomplishment for a young person just learning the English language.
Real results
We know through experience that participation in the program contributes to improved academic achievement. For instance, in one Chinatown public school, before extensive arts education was introduced in 1990, only 38% of students were reading at their grade level. Today, with three arts education programs in place, 81% of students are reading at their grade level. Principal Lily Woo attributes the acceleration of this trend to the PS Broadway program, which she feels helps students to build self-discipline and develop their capacity to work towards a goal.
PS Broadway currently serves 1,700 students in 22 schools. The program reaches more than 5,100 people in total, including teachers, parents of students, and other community members. Of course, our program reach depends on the generosity of our sponsors. Consider supporting our work.
Also in this section:
Our schools
Read a success story
View our Photo gallery