Despite the fact that New York City is the theater capital of the country, only about 200 out of 1,800 public schools have theater teachers.  AMF's ultimate goal is to increase and diversify the pipeline of theater teachers, while giving them the tools they need to build sustainable public school theater programs.

Theater is a means by which to give a voice to all of our young people––particularly our Black and Brown students who make up the majority of the NYC public school population and have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Arthur Miller Foundation has worked with our cultural partners to create Theater Labs through the social justice lens to celebrate BIPOC histories while cultivating students' creative voices, encouraging them to devise and tell their stories.

A dedicated in-school theater teacher is vital. Theater teachers are individuals who create a safe space where students can explore their authentic selves; theater educators cultivate a sense of community as students use art to make sense of the world around them. 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.

AMF is determined to increase the number of theater teachers in New York City and eventually in other areas of the country, thereby increasing the number of public school students with access to quality, in-school theater education. AMF has continued to support our NYC Fellows and Scholars throughout the pandemic, and we are piloting our first expansion beyond New York into the state of Connecticut, but we need your help to deepen and grow this crucial work. Thank you for your meaningful support.