School Opportunities
ArtsXChange
Where Arts, Academics, and Inquiry Intersect!
Boost student achievement in your classroom using the performing arts! ArtsXChange is The Auditorium’s immersive year-long professional development mentorship opportunity for educators who want to integrate arts-based learning into your existing curriculum and practice using arts-learning strategies in your current classroom.
ArtsXChange participants gain:
- One dedicated Teaching Artist Mentor for the full school year
- 3 no-cost Field Trips to attend The Auditorium's Student Matinees with your students
- 3 Units of custom-made arts-integrated lesson plans based on what you are teaching, assessment strategies, and classroom management tools – for you to use for years to come!
- PDHs to maintain teacher licensure
Your ArtsXChange peers include:
- Math, Science, Social Studies, ELA, and other academic specialists
- Teachers of Diverse Learners
- School Counselors
- Educators serving Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Public Charter Schools, and the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools
- Other educators wanting to include dance, music, and theatre in their practice
The best part? Thanks to our funders, your classroom participates at no direct cost* if your school is:
- Governed by Chicago Public Schools
- Title 1 Eligible
- Designated as “Arts Emerging” or “Arts Developing” by CPS Creative Compass
2024-25 Participation is currently full!
Check back here when applications open again in summer. All educators of grades 2-8 in Chicago are welcome to apply.
Workshops for Schools and Student Groups
Our Education Department offers workshops to enhance your school’s experience at The Auditorium. Below are a couple examples of packages for schools. If you don’t see what you’re looking for please reach out and let us create an experience that fits your school’s needs and budget.
Workshops can feature Theatre, Music, or Dance.
Contact us at atru-education@auditoriumtheatre.org.
Package 1: Arts Exposure
Bring your students to attend one of the three 60-minute matinee series performances at Chicago’s historic Auditorium. A separate time is arranged for one of our teaching artists to visit your school and lead students through a fun and active assembly style workshop featuring either music, dance or theatre. Classroom Companions to assist in curriculum connections are provided.
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- 1 Student Matinee field trip
- Classroom Companions for curriculum connection
- 90-minute pre or post-matinee assembly style student workshop
Package 2: Aesthetic Education
Bring your students to attend all three one of The Auditorium’s 60-minute matinee series performances. A separate time is arranged for one of our teaching artists to visit your school and lead students in three fun and active assembly style workshops covering music, dance and theatre. Study guides are provided to connect curriculum to each performance.
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- 3 Student Matinee field trips
- A 2-hour professional development is included for all school faculty.
- Classroom Companions for curriculum connection
- (3) 90-minute post matinee student workshops (dance, theatre, and music)
- 2 hours professional development for staff
Package 3: Arts Education
Bring your students to attend one of The Auditorium’s 60-minute matinee series performances and have one of our teaching artists work with 3 classrooms for 5 weeks bringing arts instruction that benefit both the student and the academic instructor. A 2-hour professional development is included for all school faculty. Residency ends with a celebratory assembly for all students to participate in and enjoy some basic fun-filled performance activities.
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- 1 Student Matinee field trip
- Classroom Companions for curriculum connection
- 5-lesson residency with Auditorium teaching artist for 3 classrooms
- 2 hours professional development for faculty
- 90-minute assembly style workshop for students
Package 4: Arts Integration
Integrate the arts into an entire grade level with this residency. Students attend all three matinees in The Auditorium’s series and teachers receive classroom companions to assist with curriculum connections. Tying in to each performance, one of our teaching arts visits three classrooms to work with the students and academic teacher to help connect the piece to their lesson plan. A 2-hour PD workshop is included for school faculty and the residency culminates with a fun and active assembly for students.
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- 3 Student Matinee field trips
- Classroom Companions for curriculum connection
- 9-lesson residency with Auditorium teaching artist for 3 classrooms (easily broken into 3-lesson sections surrounding each matinee)
- 2 curriculum integration planning sessions per classroom
- 2 hours professional development for school faculty
- 90-minute assembly style workshop for students
Package 5: ArtsXchange Professional Development mentor
ArtsXChange is The Auditorium's immersive year-long professional development mentorship opportunity for educators who want to be self-sufficient at integrating arts-based learning into their existing curriculum and confident leading arts-learning strategies in their classroom.
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- 3 Student Matinee field trips
- 3 custom Residency Units with 5 lessons each
- 15 total classroom visits with students
- 6 hours of one-on-one PD meetings with your Teaching Artist Mentor
- 5 PD workshop meetings with peers from other schools
- Google Drive access to ArtsXChange activities, lesson plans, and unit plans in perpetuity
- PDHs toward maintaining teacher licensure
- Option to continue for 3 years
- Confidence, experience, and unit plans to include arts-based learning in your everyday classroom for years to come.
Package 6: Focus on Faculty Development
This is perfect for a staff outing or holiday celebration. Faculty are led through a Professional Development workshop featuring either music, dance, or theatre activities that enhance classroom learning. After they are treated to a cocktail reception social time and then attend one of The Auditorium’s season performances. An optional fun assembly style workshop can be added at a later time for students featuring activities that teachers learned in the workshop.
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- 90 minutes preshow Professional Development
- 30 minutes cocktail reception
- 1 weekend matinee or evening performance for faculty
- 90 minutes school assembly post faculty development (optional)
Package 7: Booster
Refresh your memory, share, and have fun learning new activities and tips to keep integrating the arts into your classroom.
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- 2 hours Professional Development Review for teachers who have attended one of our programs.
Please be sure to discuss the program with your principal!
ArtsXChange is a professional development experience focused on integrating arts-based learning into the school day. As such, teachers achieve greater success when principals are aware and supportive of the ArtsXChange work happening in the classroom.
*Teachers in other schools may be able to participate at no cost, if funding allows, otherwise at a reasonable fee to guarantee enrollment.