Stronger Together for Arts Education

Celebrate National Arts in Education Week with Orlando Family Stage

This September, Orlando Family Stage (OFS) joins communities across the country in celebrating National Arts in Education Week, a time to reflect on the essential role the arts play in helping young people become creative, confident, and compassionate leaders.

When communities support and invest in arts education, they do more than fund programs. They invest in empathy, imagination, and the next generation of change makers. Every contribution strengthens opportunities for students to create connections, build empathy, and prepare for a future that needs both heart and vision.

A Century of Impact

As OFS celebrates its 100th season, we reflect with pride on our evolution from Orlando’s “Little Theatre” to a nationally recognized, top-ten Theatre for Young Audiences. Throughout this growth, one thing has remained constant: our commitment to students, teachers, and the transformational power of live theatre.

Through long-standing partnerships with local school districts, we’ve brought meaningful arts experiences to tens of thousands of students across Central Florida. Whether it’s a field trip performance, an in-school residency, or professional learning for teachers, OFS has remained steadfast in its mission to ensure equitable access to the arts for every young person. 

This year, we were honored to be named Orange County Public Schools’ Arts Partner of the Year. This distinction highlights our commitment to bringing meaningful arts experiences to students and teachers across the district. 

What’s New This Year?

We are offering hands-on, artist-led sessions designed for both arts and non-arts educators. Workshops include:

📐 Scaling the Stage: Math Meets Set Design

Explore concepts like scale and proportion through hands-on scenic design.

🎭 Best Practices in Directing Young People

Build collaborative, student-centered rehearsals that foster growth and confidence.

🎨 Painting Techniques in Scenic Painting

Learn layering, texturing, and theatrical paint tricks to bring stage designs to life.

🧠 Arts and Wellness for Educators

Prioritize your well-being with mindfulness practices that integrate creativity and self-care.

📚 Storyboarding and Shadow Puppetry

Use storytelling tools that blend literacy and visual arts.

💪 Stage Combat for the Classroom

Teach trust and body awareness through safe, choreographed movement.

Each session is led by a professional teaching artist and built for immediate classroom application. Whether you’re a seasoned theatre teacher or a classroom educator looking to integrate the arts, these sessions will meet you where you are—and inspire where you’re going.

Why Educators Choose Orlando Family Stage

The professional learning OCPS teachers have received from Orlando Family Stage has been literally award-winning,” shares Christopher Cause, Program Specialist for Theatre and Dance at OCPS. “I watched teachers learn valuable skills and have designs inspired by workshop sessions at OFS. Then go on to implement those designs and skills with their students and win awards!”

These regional partnerships are grounded in our long-standing collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts through its Partners in Education Program—a national initiative designed to strengthen arts education by bringing schools, communities, and arts organizations together through high-quality professional development.

Through this program, we’ve deepened our commitment to building meaningful, arts-integrated learning experiences—and expanded our reach beyond Orange County to include Seminole, Osceola, Volusia counties, and beyond.

“We are so grateful for our partnership with Orlando Family Stage,” says Dr. Lindsey Williams of Seminole County Public Schools. “Their professional teacher artists provide meaningful hands-on experiences for our teachers, designed so that they can implement them quickly and easily within their own teaching pedagogy. The practical knowledge is paired with a presentation that is inclusive and transferable into various settings.” 

Celebrate. Learn. Advocate.

This year’s National Arts in Education Week theme is “Stronger Together for Arts in Education.” Orlando Family Stage shares in this mission and is committed to its partners, educators, students, and community partners who help keep the arts at the center of education. 

With potential federal budget cuts threatening all 50 states, particularly in rural and underserved communities, it is essential to take action and raise awareness about this critical issue affecting the arts community. 

Here’s how you can join us:

•  Register for a PD workshop or share with a teacher in your life
• Advocate for arts education by contacting your local leaders
• Celebrate and share your own arts education story

Take action NOW with Americans for the Arts! 

Join Orlando Family Stage as we support and advocate for arts in education – because a unified voice is stronger together for arts education!