Youth Education & Outreach		Print This Page Email This Page

The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ education and outreach programs touch the lives of children of all ages, from every part of the metro Phoenix area. Each year, more than 200 arts education activities involving 35,000 young people from 100 schools and community organizations are presented by the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Education and outreach programs focus on interactive exchanges between children and artists designed to inspire creativity, foster communication and tolerance, promote cultural exchange, create a positive image of self and community, and enrich the overall educational experience.

In the Schools

Cultural Connections Through the Arts is a model high school program that uses the arts to foster understanding and friendship among students from different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Students participate in workshops with professional artists, combined with team building and communication exercises designed to dispel the myths and fears that lead to prejudice and conflict. Cultural Connections emphasizes the traditions and cultures of the many different people who live in our community, teaches conflict-resolution skills, and promotes self-esteem and a sense of personal empowerment. The program’s focus on he arts provides a common ground for students who normally would not interact with one another, while providing an important arts education experience.

Cultural Connections at the Middle School level addresses the Cultural Connections program goals of racial, socio-economic, gender and multi-cultural tolerance and understanding through exposing a target group of 7th and 8th graders to arts education they would not otherwise receive, as well as measuring the impact this exposure has on these students academically, emotionally and socially. Theater, world music, movement and visual arts are presented in 5- 7 week residencies during the course of the school year, accompanied by field trips to the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts to attend school performances.

Spring 2006 Cultural Connection Project: ON AIR!


Salt River Pima-Maricopa and Gila River Indian Communities have been a focus for the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' community outreach initiatives for more than a decade. Artists conduct long-term residency programs at Salt River Elementary School, Salt River High School and Sacaton Middle School, teaching photography, storytelling, songwriting, beadwork, pottery, music and dance. Artist-in-residency programs have been highly effective tools for encouraging youth to stay in school and for building self-esteem, while also preserving their cultural heritage. For many of these children, working with artists has offered an important outlet for expressing deep emotions, discovering positive energy within themselves, and developing hope for the future.

In the Community

Paiute Neighborhood Center and Vista Del Camino are community gathering places in south Scottsdale that offer educational, recreational, social services and cultural programs for the surrounding community. Artists-in-residence work with children ages 6 – 12 in after school programs, teaching mask-making, photography, theater, dance, creative writing, beadwork and percussion. Many of the children at these facilities are recent immigrants just beginning to learn English, and are struggling to adapt to life in a new country, and artist residencies serve to enhance the existing programs managed by the City of Scottsdale, which provide a safe environment for youth during after school hours.

At the Center

Student Performances held in the Virginia G. Piper Theater at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts are attended by more than 35,000 elementary, middle and high school students each year. Students delight in the magic and vibrant energy that can only be experienced through live performance. From the moment the lights go down and the performers take the stage, students are transported to another time and place. A partnership with the Scottsdale Schools Arts in Education Council makes it possible for every student in grades 1-8 in the Scottsdale Unified School District to attend at least one performance each year.

Master Classes provide opportunities for students to study with professional musicians, dancers, actors and writers. For aspiring young artists, the experience of working with professional artists offers inspiration, motivation and important skill development.

ArtReach Exhibition Spaces at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts feature the work of youth engaged in our outreach endeavors under the instruction of teachers and artists in residence. These spaces provide visibility for educational programming as well as credibility and legitimacy for student achievement. Publicly exhibiting youth artwork in a professional, museum quality environment engenders a sense of self-esteem and confidence in participating students providing them with attainable goals for which to strive.

Celebration of the Arts for Children with Disabilities provides a wonderful day of creative arts activities and outdoor fun for school children from special education classrooms across the Valley. This eagerly anticipated event is held every Fall on the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall, and presents one of the few field trip opportunities available to students with mild to severe disabilities. Students participate in arts-and-crafts projects, and are treated to storytelling, magic shows, music, dance, an appearance by Ronald McDonald, and a live outdoor concert.

Cool Kids Camp is one of the Valley's favorite summer arts programs for children ages 7-12. Summer camp activities include drama classes, art classes, creative writing, music and movement, in addition to live performances, gallery tours and films. Classes are taught by highly skilled artists and arts educators, with camp sessions held at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Scottsdale and at Grayhawk Elementary School in north Scottsdale. Scholarship assistance is available for students with financial needs.

The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community were selected in 2001 as Kennedy Center Partners in Education, a national collaborative between arts centers and school districts designed to increase the artistic literacy of young people. The Partners in Education program is based on the belief that the professional development of teachers is an essential component of any effort designed to increase the artistic literacy of young people. Goals of the partnership include increasing teachers’ engagement with making and thinking about the arts; influencing participants’ teaching practice and understanding of arts ideas, content and concepts; and, providing tools and strategies for implementing the Arizona Arts Standards in daily classroom curriculum.