ProjectSTAGE Continues to Grow in Third Year

Thirty‐eight teachers in year three of Project STAGE, a program created through a  federal grant to increase literacy in Manatee County Title I Elementary Schools, participated in autumn workshops at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.  “Dramatizing the Content: Curriculum‐Based Readers Theatre,” was facilitated by Dr. Rosalind Flynn, a Kennedy Center Partners in Education teacher. The workshop focused on planning, writing, rehearsing, and staging original scripts. Robert Warren, the Director of Education and Community Engagement for the Van Wezel and Project STAGE partner, facilitated “Understanding the Aesthetic: The Art of Theatre.” Teachers investigated multiple components of theatrical storytelling. Both workshops were followed by classroom coaching. Dr. Sherry Lawrence, Curriculum Specialist and Director of Project STAGE noted, “In an up‐coming workshop, our teachers will have the opportunity to explore musical strategies for improving students’ mastery of sound and rhythmic patterns in language, as we all work to increase student achievement.”

ProjectSTAGE is a program funded by a US Department of Education three year grant to the Manatee County School District.  The grant was written by the school district and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Education and Community Engagement Department.  Funds are provided to train teachers from Manatee County Title One Elementary Schools in arts integration techniques in order to improve student literacy.  The grant was announced in winter 2010.

Pictured above from left: Robert Warren (Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall), Dr. Rosalind Flynn (Kennedy Center), Sherrie Henderson (Manatee Elementary School).