FAQs

Nothing! We are thrilled to offer educational events free of charge to schools thanks to our generous family of donors, endowments, foundation grants, and the State of Michigan. That said, we very much appreciate feedback through emails, cards, notes, etc. which helps with grant reports and aids in securing additional funding for future programs.

The Center is committed to barrier-free acces to Next Gen Programming and can reimburse your school district for the cost of the busing. Please email an invoice with mileage, date, and total cost to rachel@greatlakescfa.org.

There is no limit. However, out of respect for the financial gifts given in support of education for all the Northern Michigan students served by the Center, we strive to fulfill requests and provide experiences to as many schools/students from across Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, & Ostego counties as possible.

We kindly ask that you provide 1 adult per 20 students. These may be teachers, administrators, health care aides, drivers. For schools seated in the upper-level boxes, one adult must be present for every 5-7 students (one adult per box). The Center will also try to fill this role using our volunteer team.

Yes! Most artists supply in-depth and standards-based educational resources, which are accessible on the Next Gen events webpage. The Center’s Teacher Advisory Committee (comprised of teachers from four area school districts) also creates lesson plans that correspond with the state curricula. All materials are classroom-ready (but also adaptable) for you to use at your discretion. We encourage teachers to use the educational resources in a way that maximizes students’ learning and enhances their overall experience at the Center.

There is no cost, and therefore, no deposit is required. Please be respectful of other schools and let Next Gen know as soon as possible if your plans or the total number of students/adults change. Often, there is a waiting list for educational events, and we would like to ensure a full house to honor access to these performing arts opportunities.

It depends on the artists’ contracts and will be announced from the stage at the start of the show.

Next Gen events are offered to schools and students at no cost thanks to generous donors, event sponsors, and grants. Photographs and videos of students participating in Next Gen events (anywhere on the GLCFA premises) are integral to conveying the program's value to continue inspiring support. Next Gen is sensitive to the privacy needs and desires of students and their families. Unless otherwise made aware by educators and/or chaperones, the GLCFA will use house photography/videography of students at and in association with Next Gen events, as needed, for educational and promotional purposes and grant proposals and reports.

Generally, we ask you to arrive 10-15 minutes before the start of the program to allow all students time to use the restroom and settle into their seats. Specific arrival times for each school will be included in the pre-arrival information that gets emailed to you approximately one week before the show. 

Center staff will watch for school closings on local tv stations but calls and/or emails would also be appreciated. Conversely, if the Center needs to cancel an event due to inclement weather, staff will send out an email to the contact person from each school as early as possible. School personnel is also welcome to contact Rachel Sytsma-Reed, Director of Education and Community Engagement, via email at rachel@greatlakescfa.org.

We will do our best to accommodate all students. Please let us know ahead of time if you have students with special needs (wheelchair, aisle seat to be able to leave if needed, etc.)