With the ultimate goal of "every child, every grade, every year," the Sandler Center, in partnership with the Virginia Arts Festival’s WorldClass® Education Department, presents student matinee performances and education outreach opportunities geared towards school-aged children in grades K–12. 

As part of this comprehensive program, the Sandler Center offers specially priced student performances for the area’s young people and brings world-class artists into classrooms for master classes, workshops, and demonstrations. This past season, outreach programs included the Joe Bonamassa master class and the Borealis Wing Quintet. In total, the 2010-2011 Sandler Center educational and outreach programs reached 8,785 students. This was an increase of 297% from the 2009-2010 season.

The Sandler Center and the Arts Festival's Education Department work closely with the public schools' arts administrators on scheduling and programming to make sure that these programs complement the districts' curriculum. Free Study Guides are available to help teachers prepare students for the programs. This is a very valuable tool that includes several age-appropriate student worksheets and activities that help teachers incorporate the arts into the school's curriculum and align with the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL's). 
 

How You Can Help

The Sandler Center for the Performing Arts works closely with area schools to ensure that as many students as possible have the opportunity to be enriched by the arts. Many schools in the Hampton Roads area do not have the funding to provide their students with unique arts opportunities. Through individual donations and corporate funding, the Sandler Center has established a permanent endowment for the sole purpose of bringing the performing arts to school children through educational programming and school field trips. Contributions can be made through the purchase of a brick paver to be laid in the Sandler Center Plaza. Every paver purchased will be a permanent reminder of your commitment to the arts.

To purchase a paver or to donate to the Sandler Center educational endowment fund please call (757) 385-0227 or visit us on the web at www.sandlercenter.org/support