Educating Through the Arts

The mission of the Great Lakes Center for the Arts is to inspire, entertain, educate, and serve all in Northern Michigan year-round by presenting exceptional experiences across the full spectrum of the performing arts and offering impactful educational opportunities.

Next, Gen proudly presents opportunities for students at all grade levels, pre-kindergarten through college, across all curriculum content areas, and many genres; these opportunities are always offered at no cost to students, educators, or schools, thanks to the generosity of our donors. Relying on a fantastic group of certified teachers, the Teacher Advisory Committee helps guide and promote Next Gen’s alignment of events with Michigan’s Academic Standards as well as Michigan’s Social and Emotional Learning Competencies. Next Gen first offered programming for Char-Em schools in the 2018-2019 school year and has, even through COVID-19, annually served more than 4,000 students and educators. In total, Next Gen has served more than 27,000 students and educators to date, and its reach expanded in 2022 to include service to five counties (Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, and Otsego) representing 60 schools and districts, more than 70 homeschools, even a few colleges.

Every Next Gen event offers free educational resources – available on the registration webpage – to enhance the learning experience of every show, and during the school year, busing to and from matinees is completely reimbursable upon request. Next Gen continues to offer all districts and schools barrier-free access to programming committed to education through the performing arts.
Next Gen works with educators and community members to connect students to Center Stage performances through complimentary tickets, master classes, meet-and-greets, and other unique opportunities that shed light on theater-based careers and provide unique glimpses into the world of performing arts. Students have participated in unique opportunities associated with such Center Stage performances as Michigan Rattlers, The Accidentals, A Conversation with Christo Brand, Second City Improv, The Vienna Boys Choir, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Verve Pipe, and a variety of dance troupes: The Joffrey Ballet, Pilobolus, and Hubbard Street Dance.

In the summer, Next Gen hosts a select group of college students, graduate students, and young professionals through its Internship in Arts Management program. These paid internships provide students and recent graduates with “behind the scenes” opportunities for hands-on learning, professional development, leadership mindset development, and career-relevant networking. Our interns have brought new ideas and positive energy each summer, and many of them have used their GLCFA internship experience as a springboard for professional development, scholarships, and jobs in arts management.

Next Gen is always happy to connect with the community to develop opportunities and create programming for the next generation. Please reach out to Rachel Sytsma-Reed, Director of Education and Community Engagement, to learn more or to start a conversation about how best to serve the schools and students of Northern Michigan. Next Gen looks forward to welcoming you into the impactful, engaging, creative, and accessible work it does to support schools and collaborate with arts organizations as partners in education through the performing arts.
 

Next Gen is thankful for the support of: