The Auditorium Theatre Announces the 11th Year of ArtsXChange

The Auditorium Theatre announces the 11th year of their signature education program: ArtsXChange. ArtsXChange is the Auditorium Theatre's immersive year-long professional development mentorship opportunity for educators (grades 2-8) who want to integrate arts-based learning into existing curriculum using arts-learning strategies in their classrooms.

This program is offered at no cost to participants because of the support of our generous funding partners - Polk Bros. Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust, and CIBC.

The ArtsXChange program teaches non-arts educators how to use the performing arts in their classroom to boost student achievement. Each teacher receives a year-long mentorship with an Auditorium Theatre Teaching Artist Mentor. The single objective of the ArtsXChange mentorship is to support teachers as they work to become self-sufficient in infusing more arts-based learning opportunities in their classrooms. Teachers cover subjects such as math, reading, ELA, science, and social studies, to name just a few. ArtsXChange classrooms also attend three performances in the Auditorium Theatre's Student Matinee Series each school year.

"ArtsXChange is one of our most successful education programs at the Auditorium Theatre," said Auditorium Theatre CEO Rich Regan. "Not only do teachers use performing arts-based learning to engage students in a variety of subjects, but we are privileged to also welcome these young people to our National Historic Landmark to experience the joy of a live performance."

"For the past 11 years, our teachers in ArtsXChange have seen how arts integration not only inspires their students academically, but also supports their social emotional growth in tremendous and real ways," says Tiffany Brown, ArtsXChange Program Consultant. "Especially now, we know that ArtsXChange mentors can help schools, teachers, and counselors learn how to use the performing arts to process the events of the past 18 months with their students."

The 2021-22 school year include 20 classrooms in Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Public Charter Schools, and the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools. So far, this year's schools include Carson Elementary School (CPS, Gage Park, Southwest Side), St. Sabina Academy (Chicago Catholic School, Auburn Gresham, South Side), King Academy of Social Justice (CPS, Englewood, Southwest Side), Parkside Elementary School (CPS, South Shore, South Side), and Greeley Elementary (CPS, Lakeview, North Side.)

Applications are still being accepted for teachers and their classrooms to join ArtsXChange for the 2021-22 school year - click here.

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