The Performing Arts Center will host two virtual programs for students over the next two months. Wings of Courage and Full STEAM Ahead with Mister C will be presented in a digital format with an accompanying virtually live Q&A session with the program’s creators.
According to David Mitchell, general manager of the Performing Arts Center, “In a typical year, we reach over 7,000 students who visit us for educational programing through our Class Acts Series. While we are unable to create those live experiences for students this year at the Performing Arts Center, it is very important to us that we continue to provide opportunities to our educational partners to include the arts in their curriculum.”
The Class Acts Series is designed to increase the exposure to subjects in the arts, sciences, health, music, and theatre. The series provides structured, intentional and experiential learning opportunities that complement and reinforce state-mandated K-12 curricula, develops academic potential, and contributes to intellectual growth and character development.
Wings of Courage is an original play with music by Mad River Theater Works based on the life of Eugene Bullard, the first African-American combat pilot and adventurer. Using storytelling, music, and drama, Wings of Courage shows how Bullard’s determination and perseverance helped him to overcome discrimination throughout his remarkable life.
As the creator and host of Full STEAM Ahead, a show on PBS Kids’ member stations CET and ThinkTV in southwest Ohio and Alabama Public Television, Mister C is no stranger to finding exciting and engaging ways to explore STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) in our everyday lives. Students and teachers will be amazed with this fun and educational show as Mister C uses humor, media and the engineering design process to make the ordinary extraordinary! Full STEAM Ahead with Mister C is a program designed by Kevin Cornel, Ed. S.
These virtual offerings will be provided free of charge to schools and students thanks to grant funding received from the Ohio Arts Council, Arts Midwest and Dominion Energy and from individual donations to the Performing Arts Center’s Education Fund.
Interested schools, teachers and parents can register to participate online at: https://www.kent.edu/tusc/pac/class-acts. Study guides are also available online to prepare students for the subject matter included in the programs. Questions can be directed to David Mitchell at dmitch33@kent.edu or 330-308-7462.