Arts
As the undisputed arts and culture capital of the world, New York City is home to a vibrant artistic and creative community that forges enriching partnerships with our city's public schools. Private philanthropic support facilitated through The Fund supports a diversity of arts programs, ranging from theater and dance to music and visual arts.
Arnhold Dance Teacher
Support Program
Since 2004, Jody and John Arnhold and the Arnhold Foundation have contributed approximately $2 million to support dance education in New York City Public Schools (NYCPS). Their generosity has enabled significant mentorship, training, and support for dance educators, increasing the number of the City’s public school students who have access to high quality dance education.
Such private investment empowers NYCPS to make significant strides and impact dance education through various dynamic initiatives that enhance teacher effectiveness and boost student achievement.
Through this longstanding partnership with the Arnhold Foundation, The Fund, and NYCPS are committed to providing high-quality professional learning resources for dance teachers.
Enabling the development of an annual cohort of dance educators supports the creation of a cadre of high-quality, experienced dance teachers serving students throughout New York City. Additionally, this work allows for the continued identification and sustenance of promising practices that lead to transformative, system-wide improvements to dance education.
Teachers receiving support from the Arnhold Dance Teacher Support Program have noted over the years how these resources have helped boost their classroom management skills, broaden their perspective as dance educators, inspired the development of new curricula, and strengthened their teaching practices and collegial relationships.
Shubert Theatre
Education Programs
New York City is home to a vibrant artistic and creative community. The Fund for New York City Public Schools works in partnership with New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) to build and strengthen enriching private partnerships that support the City’s goal of providing a high-quality arts education for all students.
The Shubert Foundation, a partner of The Fund since 2006, has provided more than $8 million in total giving to support theater and arts education for our public schools. Through key programs, The Shubert Foundation nurtures the City’s aspiring student artists by providing essential student programming and support for school leaders and teachers of theater.
Shubert Theatre Education Programs elevate the teaching practice of NYCPS theater engagement for often underserved school communities as well as instruction for students across New York City. Additionally, The Shubert Foundation’s support enables students to participate in unique experiences with world-renowned theater partners. Through Shubert Leadership and Teacher Development and Shubert/Music Theater International (MTI) Broadway Junior programs, the NYCPS Arts Office is able provide collaborative workshops, training opportunities, and unique resources to develop a professional learning (PL) community among theater teachers and leaders. Additionally, the programs promote enhancing theater instruction in schools and sustain valuable partnerships with the theater community. For example, the Shubert HS Festival serves as a forum to celebrate the diversity of theater in our schools and the power of theater education, while also promoting careers for the next generation of theater artists. Additionally, the All IN(clusive) All-City Theatre Ensemble is the first-ever citywide theater ensemble comprised of public-school high school students of diverse ethnicities, gender identities, backgrounds, abilities, disabilities and points of view.
The ArtsHub
The Principal Fellows Program, an initiative of the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) Arts Office, supports school leaders’ capacity to develop and implement robust and rigorous arts instruction in their schools, resulting in visible, transformative, and measurable outcomes for students, teachers, and principals. A first-of-its-kind model for the Arts Office, the program was piloted in Spring 2023 with 20 principals and has since expanded to serve over 100 principals across 31 districts.
With generous support of private partnerships, the Principal Fellows Program is hosted at the ArtsHub, a first-of-its-kind central space developed by the NYCPS Arts Office, that creates opportunities for public school students, artists, and educators to collaborate, create, and learn together.
Also at the ArtsHub, the Studio Artists Initiative brings in NYC-based artists to devise, workshop, and rehearse their work while creating “first look” opportunities for NYCPS students and teachers. In developing a relationship with these artists over the course of one or two semesters, the NYCPS Arts Office works with them to create opportunities to bring in NYCPS students and/or teachers into their studios and processes. This can be flexible and has ranged from: students workshopping in-development piece with artists; teacher professional learning; open studio visit for teachers and students during rehearsals. With private funding support facilitated by The Fund, Studio Artists are provided with a stipend to support their work and engage fully at the ArtsHub.