Arthur Miller Foundation
Arts education should be a right, not a privilege.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Despite the fact that New York City is the theater capital of the United States, only about 200 out of 1,800 public schools have theater teachers. We must (a) deem arts education an essential part of a core academic experience for our New York City youth, so that all students have the opportunity to receive a well-rounded education that is inclusive of quality arts instruction from a certified theater teacher in the midst of their school day and (b) increase the number of theater teachers in NYC public schools, so that they meet the New York State Pre-K–12 Learning Standards for the Arts in the discipline of Theater.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows Program
The Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows Program was launched in partnership with the Office of Arts & Special Projects at the New York City Department of Education in 2015, with the goal of expanding access to dedicated theater education in public schools. The program provides mentorship, cultural partner residencies, professional development and classroom resources for new certified theater teachers, who are named Arthur Miller Fellows. It also provides tickets for Fellows and their students to attend Broadway shows & other high-quality theater performances.
Now in its 6th year, the program has expanded from 15 to 70 Fellows, impacting over 35,000 elementary, middle and high school students in public schools throughout all 5 boroughs of New York City. It is one of the few existing programs with a focus on integrating theater arts education into the academic day.
Arthur Miller Foundation Scholars Program
The Arthur Miller Foundation Scholars Program provides 50% tuition scholarship grants to current, licensed New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) teachers committed to obtaining an additional certification in Theater and an MS.Ed. Degree in Educational Theater from The City College of New York (CCNY), in order to teach theater in an NYC DOE public school.
While AMF gives priority to New York State (NYS) resident candidates who are teaching another subject in an NYC DOE public school, the Foundation also considers other qualified candidates (such as resident or non-resident substitute teachers, teaching artists, and those with undergraduate degrees in theater) who are eligible to enroll in the CCNY Graduate Program in Educational Theatre, with the ultimate goal of becoming a permanent, certified public school theater teacher.
Where we work
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsTotal number of awarded residencies
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Academics, Artists and performers
Related Program
Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Total number of individuals enrolled in the Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows Program.
Number of academic scholarships awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Academics, Students
Related Program
Arthur Miller Foundation Scholars Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of graduate students enrolled in the Arthur Miller Foundation Scholars Program.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Arthur Miller Foundation believe arts education is a right, not a privilege. The core purpose of the organization is to provide equity and access to quality theater education for public school students by supporting theater teachers. Evidence reveals that theater class gives students an outlet to funnel anxiety and stress through creative expression by providing them with a constructive way to channel those emotions. Theater is a means by which to give a voice to all of our young people–particularly BIPOC students who make up the majority of the NYC public school population and have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Theater education programs support the crucial Social Emotional Learning Benchmarks outlined by the NY State Education Department, which are activated through the theater process: building trust and empowering students by integrating their mind, body, and voice. These skills are key in providing our students with trauma-informed care as they navigate the challenges of remote, blended or in-person learning during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. We are determined to (a) increase the number of public school theater teachers in New York City, and (b) offer support to early-career public school theater teachers so they can build, sustain and grow quality in-school theater programs.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Arthur Miller Foundation funds and executes two theater education programs:
- The Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows Program is a theater teacher support and mentoring program, executed in collaboration with the Director of Theater within the New York City Department of Education Office of Arts & Special Projects, to sustain public school theater education programs.
- The Arthur Miller Foundation Scholars Program funds 50% scholarships for qualified candidates to enroll in the Graduate Program in Educational Theater at The City College of New York, to earn their theater teaching certification, thereby increasing the number of students with a dedicated theater education.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows (public school theater teachers) receive the following buckets of support:
1) Mentorship from a professional, dedicated theater educator
2) Cultural Partner Residencies on a specific topic of theater with various NYC cultural institutions (such as ArtsConnection, Broadway Bound Kids, Epic Theatre Ensemble, Lincoln Center Theater, New Victory Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, Story Pirates)
3) Resources (classroom toolkits and student theater tickets)
4) Professional Development workshops and events which provide a learning community of peers and colleagues
Arthur Miller Foundation Scholars (theater educators enrolled in the Graduate Program in Educational Theatre at The City College of New York with the goal of becoming New York State certified theater teachers) receive the following aspects of support:
- 50% tuition scholarships
- networking events with the Arthur Miller Foundation's community of theater educators and arts professionals
Through these unique programs, the Arthur Miller Foundation demonstrates its significant pledge to a) increase the number of qualified, licensed public school theater teachers and b) sustain public school theater programs, thereby broadening the reach of theater education for our NYC public school students.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The Arthur Miller Foundation impacts 78 NYC public school theater teachers at schools across all 5 boroughs of NYC, who are collectively reaching nearly 40,000 students. The 3-year retention rate for Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows is approximately 80% while the 3-year retention rate for NYC DOE schools is approximately 60%. Most importantly, 90.5% of all Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows who have completed the 3 year program have sustainable theater programs in their schools.
When our programs began in 2015, approximately 10% of NYC public schools had a certified theater teacher. Since then, that percentage has grown to 20%, thanks to the New York City Department of Education’s Office of Arts and Special Projects (NYC DOE OASP). While the NYC DOE is making significant strides, together we must continue moving the needle to reach our goal. As such, the Arthur Miller Foundation has awarded 15 scholarships to theater educators in the Graduate Program in Educational Theatre at The City College of New York with the goal of becoming a theater teacher within the NYC DOE school system, in an effort to feed the pipeline of theater educators in New York City.
Once Arthur Miller Scholars receive their certification and begin teaching theater in an NYC DOE public school, they are eligible to apply for the Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows Program, receiving another 3 years of dedicated support as they build a quality theater program within a public school.
Our vision is to export this program model of dedicated support for theater educators (from certification to public school classroom) across new areas of New York City, New York State, and the United States, thereby increasing the number of public school students with a dedicated theater education. We need your help to do so. Will you join us in this arts education movement?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Arthur Miller Foundation
Board of directorsas of 09/19/2022
Rebecca Miller
Sandi Farkas
Barbara Ricci
Janine Smith
Aaron Siegel
Dawson Horn
Margaret Schramm Horn
Alia Jones-Harvey
Gary S. Moriwaki
David Homan
Divya Mathur
Organizational demographics
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Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/11/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.