The National Theatre for Children Shifts Directions to E-Learning for 2020-2021 School Year
MINNEAPOLIS, September 2, 2020 (Newswire.com) - Since 1978, The National Theatre for Children (NTC) has brought live educational theatre to hundreds of schools and thousands of students each year. Working with corporations, government entities, nonprofits and other organizations, NTC has educated K-12 students and their families about important life skills such as energy efficiency, health and wellness, financial literacy, water conservation, emergency preparedness, STEM subjects, electrical safety and more.
The spread of the coronavirus in 2020 has altered American life in countless ways, with its impacts on K-12 education among the most drastic. Students, parents and teachers face an unpredictable school year, with restrictions around distance e-learning and classroom instruction varying from one school district to the next.
These difficulties also prevent schools from welcoming outside assemblies. As a result, NTC has retooled its programming for the 2020-2021 school year, adapting its live theatrical presentations to an all-digital format. Instead of NTC actor-educators visiting schools in person, livestream events will be broadcast in real time to devices in homes and classrooms throughout the country, continuing to educate and inspire students from a safe distance. The livestream events, which consist of a series of prerecorded videos and a live host who communicates with students and teachers directly, are supplemented by an e-learning curriculum that includes games, activities, e-books, quizzes, smart speaker apps and more.
NTC will create and deliver digital education programs on behalf of its clients this fall, ranging from utility companies and financial institutions to city and state government organizations. Students and teachers from over 1,700 schools will receive access to the livestream events, videos and other digital learning resources this fall, helping educators reinforce their curriculum in what proves to be a daunting and unpredictable school year.
While NTC is eager to return to schools with live theatrical programs in the future, the digital alternatives to be delivered this school year – conceived, created and implemented in a matter of months – are a necessary solution. Given the numerous different ways that students will be learning and communicating with their teachers, the flexibility of e-learning materials that can be accessed on any device in the classroom or at home allows education to continue when it’s needed most.
“We should put all efforts into strengthening our delivery of education through distance learning,” advised California State Superintendent of Public Education Tony Thurmond this spring – a sentiment shared by most states’ education boards.
NTC’s president and founder Ward Eames agrees: “Theatre is a great way to educate, whether presented digitally or live in schools. The livestream goes beyond reading or other more passive methods of engaging kids. These children are watching a story unfold right before their very eyes. It really sticks with them.”
For more information on NTC’s e-learning programs, visit https://nationaltheatre.com/programs/. For information on NTC’s partners and/or schools receiving livestream events, contact mlevine@ntccorporate.com.
Source: National Theatre for Children
