Lifelines: A Trip of a Lifetime

The students from Bridgeport’s Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Magnet School have returned from Brazil and are preparing for the arrival of their peers in March!

From embracing the language and cultural nuances, to appreciating the environmental riches and challenges of the Amazonian region, it is clear they are aware this travel exchange was a trip of a lifetime.

As part of the exchange, the students recorded their trip via their blog:

“We were surprised to see on the classroom walls, all of our art. Our reactions cannot be understated. We ran around the classroom shouting the names of our classmates when we saw their pieces. It was so exciting to know that our art had made it to the Brazilian students and that some of them even recognized us from the exchange!”

Click here to read all about their continuing adventures!

Turnaround Arts Draws on ArtLink

“Arts education isn’t something we add on after we’ve achieved other priorities like raising test scores and getting kids into college. It’s actually critical for achieving those priorities in the first place. That’s what the Turnaround Arts program is all about.” – First Lady Michelle Obama

Led by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in partnership with the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, together with the U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Arts, local partners, and several private foundations, Turnaround Arts brings arts education programs and supplies to a group of the lowest-performing elementary and middle schools in the country.

These resources help schools improve attendance, parent engagement, student motivation and academic achievement.

Five schools in the State of Connecticut are part of the Turnaround Arts program.

We are proud to have our ArtLink program in two of them: Hallen School and Tisdale School. Our work supports Bridgeport Public Schools’ mission to ready all its students to graduate college-ready and prepared to succeed in life.

To learn more, visit https://turnaroundarts.pcah.gov

To see WTNH’s story on the Turnaround Arts program at Hallen School, click here.

Help us Connect US Students with their Peers in India

This Spring we are bringing Tharanginee!, the award-winning Indian dance company to the states as part of our International Young Performers’ Tour.

And we need your help!

We have three half-day openings for our International Young Performers’ Tour that we must fill.

If you are part of a school, place of worship or community/cultural center that would be interested in hosting Tharanginee! please download the flyer to learn more or contact Alan Steckler directly.

With your help, we will be able to connect our students with their peers from India through dance, drama, yoga and martial arts.

Special Thanks to our Classroom Sponsors

In the spirit of the holiday season, we would like to extend a sincere thank you to our classroom sponsors:

– Diane and Rob Fried

– Jack Neafsey

– Everette and Sally Schank

– David and Lisa Schlakman

– Alan and Debbie Steckler

– Phil Strauss

– Richard Worth

Because of their generosity, seven (7) underserved classrooms now have access to our signature ArtLink and RainForest ArtLink programs.

What an incredible gift!

We continue to add deserving classrooms from across the country to our waiting list. To learn how you can support a classroom, click here or connect with Polly Loughran, ArtLink Program Director, directly.

Celebrating our Students

Thank you for joining us at our 2016 International Children’s Art Show, “My Community, My Point of View.”

And thank you to Silvermine Art School in New Canaan for being such a wonderful host of our exhibit.

It is always special when we can share student artwork from around the world with our local community!

Our Impact – In Action

To support our Annual Appeal: