Exploring The Arts Inc

FOUNDED BY LEGENDARY SINGER TONY BENNETT AND HIS WIFE, SUSAN BENEDETTO, THE MISSION OF EXPLORING THE ARTS (ETA) IS TO TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH ARTS EDUCATION, WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS TO HELP THEM BUILD QUALITY, IN-SCHOOL ARTS PROGRAMS AND TO INCREASE OUT-OF-SCHOOL ARTS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR STUDENTS. ETA CURRENTLY SERVES 38 PARTNER SCHOOLS IN NEW YORK CITY AND LOS ANGELES.

THE 4-YEAR PLAN:IN 2021-2022, ETA ENGAGED FOUR NEW PARTNER SCHOOLS IN LA/PASADENA WHILE WORKING WITH FOUR ACTIVE SCHOOLS IN LA/PASADENA AND SIX ACTIVE SCHOOLS IN NYC BRINGING THE TOTAL OF ETA PARTNER SCHOOLS TO 56. AS SCHOOLS EMERGED FROM THE PANDEMIC, THEY BEGAN TO RESUME IN-PERSON ARTS PROGRAMMING, WHICH MEANT THAT ETA HELPED SUPPORT RESIDENCIES, EQUIPMENT REPAIR AND PURCHASES, AND SUPPLIES IN ADDITION TO PLANNING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS. NETWORK ACTIVITIES THAT BROUGHT BI-COASTAL COMMUNITIES TOGETHER, VIRTUALLY, AROUND SPECIFIC ARTFORMS CONTINUED TO TAKE PLACE, ENABLING THE SHARING OF IDEAS AND BEST PRACTICES. WORK WITH EACH SCHOOL, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR PLANS IS UNIQUE, DESIGNED TO SUPPORT A PRINCIPAL-LED VISION, CENTERED ON CLEARLY ARTICULATED GOALS. ETA PROGRAM STAFF WORK AS CONSULTANTS TO PRINCIPALS, HELPING THEM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A STRATEGIC, STEP-BY-STEP, SUSTAINABLE PLAN, WITH BUILT-IN ASSESSMENT, AND A PRACTICAL BUDGET. FUNDS CAN BE USED TO PAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS IN A PLAN: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING FOR TEACHERS; PLANNING TIME FOR CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT; IN-SCHOOL ARTIST RESIDENCIES; CLASS FIELD TRIPS; THE PURCHASE OF ARTS SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT.THE PROJECTED IMPACT FOR THIS PROGRAM IS TWOFOLD: (A) TO PROVIDE MORE RIGOROUS, STANDARDS-BASED ARTS TRAINING AND INCREASED ENGAGEMENT WITH CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS TO TRADITIONALLY UNDER-SERVED STUDENTS WHO HAVE LACKED ACCESS TO SUCH OPPORTUNITIES; AND (B) TO EMPOWER PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN QUALITY ARTS PROGRAMS IN THE FACE OF PUBLIC BUDGET CUTS AND MANDATED CURRICULUM AND TESTING REQUIREMENTS.AS A PARTNER OF THE KENNEDY CENTER'S TURNAROUND ARTS PROGRAM, ETA WORKS WITH FOUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN THE BRONX AS PART OF THESE 4 YEAR PLAN ENDEAVORS.

ARTS ACCESS GRANTS: AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE 4-YEAR PLAN, ALUMNI PARTNER SCHOOLS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR EXPLORING THE ARTS' ARTS ACCESS GRANT (AAG). THE AAG IS FOR ANY TEACHER (OR COLLABORATION OF TEACHERS) AT AN ETA ALUMNI PARTNER SCHOOL WHO SEEKS SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS OR ARTS INTEGRATION IN THEIR CLASSROOM OR SCHOOL COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO ADDRESS ONE OR MORE OF ETA'S 3 CORE OUTCOMES FOR SCHOOL-BASED WORK: SUSTAINABILITY, STUDENT ENGAGEMENT , AND STUDENT LEARNING. THESE GRANTS WERE PUT ON PAUSE DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND SCHOOLS THAT HAD OUTSTANDING PROJECTS WERE ABLE TO RESUME AND COMPLETE THEIR PROJECTS IN 2021-2022.

ETA'S ARTS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (AIP): SUPPORTS STUDENTS WHO FACE STRUCTURAL BARRIERS WITH PAID WORK EXPERIENCES AND MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ARTS THAT EMPOWER THEIR SELF-IDENTITY AND HELP THEM BUILD VALUABLE SKILLS TO PROPEL THEM THROUGH THEIR FUTURE ENDEAVORS. AIP PLACES A COHORT OF JUNIORS FROM PUBLIC TITLE I HIGH SCHOOLS IN TWO-YEAR INTERNSHIPS (IN LA STARTING IN 2022; IN NY STARTING IN 2023) AT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, ARTS BUSINESSES, AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE COMBINED WITH POST-SECONDARY READINESS PROGRAMMING THAT INCLUDES COLLEGE VISITS AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS TRAINING. THE PROGRAM DEMYSTIFIES THE PROFESSIONAL ARTS WORLD FOR OUR INTERNS AND FACILITATES THEIR DIRECT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ARTS SECTOR IN THEIR CITY. THE TWO-YEAR MODEL ALLOWS OUR INTERNS TO SUBSTANTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, OFFERING AN IMPORTANT PERSPECTIVE AS MEMBERS OF UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE ARTS. IT HELPS THEM DEVELOP A PROFESSIONAL SKILL SET, INSPIRES THEIR AMBITIONS, AND GUIDES THEM IN IDENTIFYING A PATHWAY FOR ACHIEVING THEIR POST-SECONDARY GOALS. IN 2021-2022, THE PROGRAM SERVED 35 26 STUDENTS AT 24 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS IN NY AND 9 STUDENTS AT 9 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS IN LA AND PASADENA THROUGH VIRTUAL 1:1 MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND GROUP WORKSHOPS.

LANG ART SCHOLARS PROGRAM: THROUGH A MULTI-YEAR COMMITMENT BY THE EUGENE M. LANG FOUNDATION, OVER THE SPAN OF THREE YEARS, THE PROGRAM ENGAGES TRUSTED CULTURAL PARTNERS TO PROVIDE ARTISTIC, CRAFT-BASED TRAINING TO A SELECT COHORT OF ETA PARTNER SCHOOL TEENS, WHO ALSO PARTICIPATE IN ETA'S CAREFULLY CURATED CURRICULUM OF ACTIVITIES PROVIDING TARGETED COLLEGE AND CAREER PREPARATORY SUPPORT. STRONGLY ALIGNED WITH ETA'S MISSION, EXPERTISE, AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORK, THE INITIATIVE IS ALSO WELL-ALIGNED WITH NEW YORK CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE CULTURAL PLAN, CREATENYC," WORKING TOWARD A MORE DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE, AND EQUITABLE ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR. IN 2021-2022, ETA HAD 30 STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM, AND GRADUATED ITS FIRST COHORT OF STUDENTS.