To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Arts in Education Program, Ridgefield Playhouse launched a 20 for 20 Arts in Education Campaign on August 5th of 2023. The goal of the 20 for 20 Campaign is to raise $200,000 to reach 20,000 students, both in-person and virtually, for free over the course of the 2023-2024 school year.
Ridgefield Playhouse’s Arts in Education Program provides theatrical programming to area schools with one hour, curriculum-related shows. The mission of the Program is to introduce students to the arts and augment teachers’ efforts by bringing academic subjects to life in the areas of science, literacy, cultural experiences, and history.
“With the 20 for 20 Campaign, the Playhouse aims to alleviate the many obstacles teachers encounter when planning a field trip – raising funds for tickets, covering the rising costs of busing, and providing lunches for Title I students,” stated Jodi Simon Stewart, Arts in Education Director, Ridgefield Playhouse.
“Additionally, our programming ties to curriculum standards and our free study guides help teachers prepare their students for seeing the show. Moreover, we partner with teachers providing in-class, literacy-based workshops for Title I schools to help students explore show themes and prepare them for their first, live theater experience.”
"Studies show that exposing students to the arts greatly improves academic performance,” said Jared Shahid, Managing Director of Booking, Marketing & Production. “Through our 20 for 20 Campaign, we hope to achieve a positive and lasting impact on student learning in terms of creative and critical thinking, listening and comprehension, and empathy and awareness of others.”
To date, the 20 for 20 Campaign has raised over $84,000 and will reach students and teachers in Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield, CT counties as well as Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess, NY counties. Over 26,000 students will take part in two fall virtual options and over 2,000 students will attend two live fall performances. Additionally – for the first time in Playhouse history – the Program’s virtual offerings will impact children around the world. Students in Tanzania, Africa and Tel Aviv, Israel will be watching the virtual offerings and utilizing the provided study guides. In total, the 34 live performances scheduled for the 2023-2024 season are projected to reach over 17,000 attendees in
person and thousands more virtually.
intent. Having students from so many communities sitting together in our 500-seat theater, enjoying a collective, live experience that they bring back to their classrooms to enhance their learning is what the mission of this Program is all about.”
The 20 for 20 Campaign is made possible by the generous contributions of the following donors:
The Leir Foundation, 7th Annual Bernie Williams Day, The George Link Jr. Charitable Trust, Ridgefield Thrift Shop, Barbara Benton Davis Fund at Fairfield County Community Foundation, The Box of Rain Foundation, Pitney Bowes Foundation, Fairfield County Bank, Allison & Jon Stockel
WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM:
AAA Northeast, The Barker Welfare Foundation, Jeannine & Thomas Carr, Diane & Anthony Dalessio, Anita & Nick Donofrio, Elizabeth Murray Ellis, Emerson Charitable Trust on behalf of Branson Ultrasonics, Enterprise Holdings, Darlina & Michael Fleitz, Liz & Steven Goldstone, Melissa Kalinowski, M&T Bank, Macy’s, Robert Markumas, The Meek Foundation, Carol & Thomas Newman, Perlmutter Family Foundation, Ridgefield Playhouse Board of Directors, Savings Bank of Danbury, Lisa & Alan Smith, Rachel & Joe Sondheimer, Union Savings Bank
Learn more and support 20 for 20 Arts in Education initiative https://ridgefieldplayhouse.org/20-for-20-arts-in-education/