Educational Programs
Very often arts education comes with financial barriers for many. To help eliminate these barriers, Broadway in Worcester coordinates its concerts with free master classes, workshops, and Q&A sessions for the region’s high school and college students, along with their arts educators.
“The educational opportunities that Broadway in Worcester has been able to give my students have been exceptional. The opportunity to listen to the stories of Broadway greats, have one on one workshops, and ask questions enriches their arts education beyond just a classroom setting.”
– Aimee Kewley, Worcester Public Schools, Burncoat High School Arts Department Head
Worcester area public and private school teachers, alike, have expressed their interest in providing their students with an “authentic” master class level curriculum. Veteran Worcester teachers say this “will provide what we can’t for our students - real-world professional experience.” There is a need for students to hear from professionals in the field; and in turn, for professionals to guide the future generation in their profession.
Research supports that field education is a student-centric learning experience that enhances learning and fosters personal and social development (Larsen et al., 2017). It has also been demonstrated that students who engage in learning experiences outside the classroom report higher levels of motivation and recall, and have improved academic performance. (Takeuchi et al., 2016; Ryan and Deci, 2017). As such, field experiences early in a student’s career can be formative and can inspire students to continue in the arts. (Hutson et al., 2011).
Broadway in Worcester’s educational programs are designed to help forward the goals of Worcester’s Cultural Plan, specifically in the areas of Youth Education, Cultural, Equity, and Access, and Creativity and Innovation.
While the Broadway concert series is designed to be sustainable through event ticket sales, the free educational programming for Worcester area students is supported entirely by local philanthropy. The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory is graciously serving as Broadway in Worcester’s 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor. Past supporters of Broadway in Worcester’s educational programs include The George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation, Barr Foundation, Worcester Cultural Coalition/JMAC 2022 Accessibility Initiative.
Past Educational Programs
A Master Class with Tony Award Winner Laura Benanti
On March 18, 2022, five time Tony Award nominee and Tony Award winner Laura Benanti hosted a free master class for Worcester area high school and college students and their arts educators.
Reach & Impact Results:
152 students and teachers pre-registered for the event.
Estimated 140 students and educators attended the master class that day
75% of the registrants were students and 25% were educators
54.5% were high school students, 29% college students, and 16.5% from the Hanover Theatre Conservatory
30+ schools were represented. In addition to the many local, central Massachusetts high schools and colleges served, data suggests we also reached some college students who were home on their spring break.
“This was a wonderful and enriching experience for the students. Providing these kinds of opportunities for our students is amazing and we hope for many more in the future.”
“Thank you so much for making this workshop happen. Laura was incredibly generous in every sense of the word. Generous with her time, generous with her talent, and generous with her skills. She blew me away. My students felt like they had a private vocal lesson with her. They will never ever forget what was said to them. They are absolutely bubbling with joy.”
“What an amazing experience for the students, educators, and theatre enthusiasts in the Worcester area! I felt so inspired by Laura’s warmth and energy. Thank you for making this possible!”
“What an incredible event on Friday for our young actors of Worcester County. Laura is such an amazing, humble and down to earth person. As an educator and a parent, she was the perfect person for something like this. She said everything I would hope someone like her would say to young students of the arts. Well done. What a special experience for all involved.”
“It was really impressive to see a master at her craft, the precision and skills she demonstrated gave me goosebumps, she knew directly and exactly what was wrong and how to correct it.”
“I really loved every aspect of the class but seeing how kind and patient Laura was with each individual student was truly something special. I really enjoyed how I was able to learn so much just watching other people get criticism and improve. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT! Laura was so sweet and it was such a joy getting to meet her. Thank you for hosting this incredible event!”
