New Wolf Trap Affiliate Will Work with Local School Districts to Bring
Arts-Based Learning to Early Childhood Classrooms in South Carolina’s Upstate Region
Greenville, SC and Vienna, VA (Oct. 16, 2024) – Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and South Carolina Children’s Theatre have partnered to bring Wolf Trap’s customizable arts-based teaching and learning programs to early childhood classrooms in northwestern South Carolina. The partnership creates Upstate South Carolina Wolf Trap, Wolf Trap’s newest addition to a growing network of 28 affiliates across the United States and in Singapore.
Upstate South Carolina Wolf Trap, operating locally as part of South Carolina Children’s Theatre, will deliver arts integration services to early childhood classrooms in Greenville, Pickens, Spartanburg, Laurens, and Anderson counties, beginning within the 2024-2025 academic year. The new affiliate’s work in the early childhood space will complement South Carolina Children’s Theatre’s commitment to empowering and inspiring a new generation of changemakers through the arts.
"South Carolina Children's Theatre is excited to bring a new level of arts-based learning to early childhood education in the Upstate," said Katie O’Kelly, Managing Director of South Carolina Children’s Theatre. "This partnership allows us to further our mission by supporting educators and helping children learn through creativity, movement, and play. We’re eager to see the lasting impact this collaboration will have on our youngest learners and their communities."
“Thanks to Arts Grow SC, the South Carolina Arts Commission has been able to get to know the great work of Wolf Trap by funding equitable access to their programs,” said David T. Platts, Executive Director of the South Carolina Arts Commission. “The creation of Upstate South Carolina Wolf Trap will create lasting connections as they expand their reach and provide early educators with the resources they need to lay strong foundations for our youngest learners.”
Wolf Trap and its affiliates work collaboratively with schools to deliver vital in-person and virtual classroom residencies, professional development workshops for teachers, and family workshops that serve the unique needs of their communities. The affiliate program is operated under Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, a program of Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. Through Wolf Trap’s education programs, including the work of the Institute and its affiliates, Wolf Trap serves nearly 100,000 children, families, and educators each year.
Upstate South Carolina Wolf Trap programs will be designed for children in preschool and kindergarten and their teachers and families. The program will introduce performing arts-based experiences that illustrate key curricular concepts such as literacy, math, and science, as well as 21st-century skills including communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and creativity. By incorporating song, movement, imaginative play, and musical instruments, these programs will equip teachers with skills to seamlessly integrate active, arts-infused learning into their daily instruction, enriching every child they teach.
“Providing teachers with tools for arts integration leads to deeper, more meaningful learning experiences for children,” said Akua Kouyate-Tate, Vice President of Education at Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. “We are looking forward to working with South Carolina Children’s Theatre to pass these strategies on to educators and children in South Carolina’s early education classrooms, further amplifying their impact within the Upstate community.”
Through professional teaching artists trained in the Wolf Trap model, Wolf Trap Institute delivers customized, in-class professional development to early childhood educators using proven, arts-based strategies that reach across curricula and support development in key areas like language, literacy, math, science, and social-emotional learning. Teaching artists engage in multi-day residencies, where they meet one-on-one with teachers to create custom lesson plans that align with their curriculum objectives. They work in the classroom alongside the teacher to engage students in arts-based learning experiences, supporting the teacher to lead the lesson using these strategies.
To inquire about scheduling an Upstate South Carolina Wolf Trap Residency, contact Anna Bowman at anna@scchildrenstheatre.org.
For more information about Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, visit www.wolftrap.org/education.
For more information about South Carolina Children’s Theatre, visit scchildrenstheatre.org.
###
About Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts
Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, produces and presents a full range of performance and education programs in the Greater Washington area, as well as nationally. Wolf Trap features three performance venues: the outdoor Filene Center and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, both located at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and The Barns at Wolf Trap, located down the road from the national park and adjacent to the Center for Education at Wolf Trap. The 7,028-seat Filene Center is operated in partnership with the National Park Service and annually showcases an extensive array of diverse artists, ranging from pop, country, folk, and blues to classical music, dance, and theatre, as well as multimedia presentations, from May through September. The Barns at Wolf Trap is operated by the Wolf Trap Foundation year-round, and during the summer months is home to the Grammy-nominated Wolf Trap Opera, one of America’s outstanding resident ensemble programs for early career opera singers. Wolf Trap’s education programs include the nationally acclaimed Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, a diverse array of arts education classes, grants, and a nationally recognized Internship and Apprenticeship Program.
About South Carolina Children’s Theatre
South Carolina Children's Theatre (SCCT) inspires and empowers a new generation of changemakers through theatre. SCCT is the largest theatre for multigenerational audiences in the state, serving over 30,000 individuals annually through productions, education programs, and community engagement initiatives - leading the region in creating transformative theatre experiences for young people and their families.
###
Media Information
Liz Nickless
Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts
571-585-2512
lizn@wolftrap.org
Amanda Sox
South Carolina Children’s Theatre
864-235-2885
amanda@scchildrenstheatre.org