HAI’s Student Teacher Enrichment Program (STEP) will provide public school students and their teachers with opportunities to attend theater, concerts, dance performances and sporting events throughout New York City. The roots of this program go back nearly to the inception of HAI, when, under contract with the City for drug prevention, HAI provided students with tickets to live arts performances as an introduction to the “constructive use of leisure time.” The current program, in which HAI is one of four vendors chosen by the City Board of Education, will acquire tickets upon request for groups from schools. Tickets are available to Broadway shows (e.g. The Music Man, Aida and Beauty and the Beast) as well as events at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Lincoln Center and Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts.

Many public schools have responded to an initial mailing about STEP, and one of them even requested tickets for all its students. Schools that purchase tickets through the STEP program are also being offered, free of charge, other HAI programs such as violence prevention workshops, in-school assembly youth performances of HAI’s Peace By Peace III and The Respect Project, in addition to complimentary tickets to HAI sponsored cultural events.

HAI’s Arts Mentoring Workshops Program will assist city public school teachers in using the arts to enhance curricula in their special education classrooms. The goal is to provide teachers with creative ways to reach students who, because of varied disabilities, are challenged in learning and often need alternatives to straightforward classroom presentations.

HAI’s professional artists will lead the workshop series to provide teachers with techniques for creating practical, hands-on, arts based projects in dance, music, performance, animation/video or the visual arts. Workshops will include professional development sessions open to an entire school, plus hands-on sessions with selected teachers, both individually and in their classrooms.

HAI maintains a roster of professional artists with extensive experience working with students with disabilities. Many HAI artists have maintained professional careers in their art forms, while developing skills in working with students with disabilites for more than a decade.

“My approach develops concentration, cooperation, and communication skills while providing teachers with clear and simple techniques so that they may continue the creative process on their own,” says Joan Merwyn, HAI senior teaching artist. “Teachers benefit by learning group techniques, engaging students in fun and beneficial activities. Movement games and exercises establish individual confidence, along with group rapport and trust, through a non-competitive, affirming group atmosphere.” With over fifteen years of experience in teaching workshops, Merwyn also maintains an active career as a professional performance artist. She is the artistic director of Sound Image Theater and a member of the Bessie award-winning performance troupe, Adapters Movement Theater.

“Teachers can be energized through very doable arts projects and techniques” says Betty Marks, director of the program. “HAI is excited to bring its extensive experience and skills in making the arts accessible to people with disabilities to the New York City Board of Education.”