These arts-integrated learning programs will engage thousands of City Schools students in person at no cost to families

BALTIMORE – Engaging, joyful, arts-integrated learning is back and in person this summer for thousands of Baltimore City Public School students, with Young Audiences of Maryland opening registration for its Summer Arts & Learning Academy and Summer LIT! programs.

The two dynamic six-week programs, which infuse traditional learning with artistic exploration, are entirely free for students. Summer LIT! and the Summer Arts & Learning Academy run Monday-Thursday from June 28 to August 5 at school locations throughout Baltimore. Each program will adhere to all safety protocols outlined by Baltimore City Public Schools.

Summer Arts & Learning Academy (SALA); Grades PreK-5
SALA is a full-day summer learning experience that introduces students to new art forms, new ways of learning math and literacy through the arts, and the joy of creative discovery. Students may create music videos for songs they wrote about math fractions, paint stories they are reading, photograph the world around them and write their own artist statements, or beatboxing to practice counting.

Each morning, students will build math and literacy skills with support from educators and teaching artists. Each afternoon, they will explore an art form with a master teaching artist and complete collaborative creative challenges. Art forms featured at SALA include music, photography, painting, poetry, dance, theatre, and more.

SALA takes place at eight sites across Baltimore: Bay Brook Elementary, Dorothy I. Height Elementary, Gardenville Elementary, Graceland Park-O’Donnell Heights Elementary, Henderson-Hopkins, Moravia Park Elementary, Pimlico Elementary/Middle, and Wildwood Elementary/Middle. Students and families can learn more and apply to this free program here.

Summer LIT!; Grades K-5
Summer LIT! is a full-day, arts-integrated literacy learning experience that provides students with opportunities for creative, hands-on learning while improving reading and writing skills – minimizing summer learning loss in the process. Students will read books centered on themes like identity, community, justice, and activism and engage in arts activities (theater, dance, visual arts) that support literacy connections.

Featuring artist residencies, small group tutoring, community partner visits, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) projects, Summer LIT! will keep kids reading, learning, and creating this summer. The program takes place at six sites in Baltimore: Beechfield Elementary/Middle, Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School, George Washington Elementary/Middle, James McHenry Elementary/Middle, Moravia Park Elementary, and Southwest Baltimore Charter. Details and registration can be found here.

“Now more than ever, it is crucial that our students make the most of this summer to build skills, reduce learning loss, and safely engage with their peers,” said Stacie Sanders Evans, Young Audiences President & CEO. “Research has shown that SALA uniquely reduces summer learning loss, and we look forward to building on that track record of success this year, welcoming children back to these joyful, engaging programs.”

To learn more about Young Audiences of Maryland, the Baltimore-based nonprofit that brings arts-integrated programming to students throughout Maryland year-round, visit yamd.org.

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About Young Audiences/Arts for Learning:
Started in Baltimore in 1950, Young Audiences is the nation’s largest arts-in-education provider. As the Maryland affiliate, Young Audiences/Arts for Learning (YA) is devoted to enriching the lives and education of Maryland’s youth through educational and culturally diverse arts programs. Through Young Audiences, professional artists from all disciplines partner with leaders and schools for over 7,000 hands-on arts learning experiences that reach more than 190,000 Maryland students annually. Young Audiences envisions a Maryland where the arts are valued for their capacity to transform lives, and where every student is immersed in opportunities to imagine, to create, and to realize their full potential.