Wolf Trap and Northrop Grumman Foundation Partner to Enhance Early STEM Learning Through the Arts on a National Scale

Northrop Grumman pairs Wolf Trap Teaching Artists with early childhood educators to teach Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math concepts through the arts

VIENNA, Va., Sept. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following a successful first year, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and Northrop Grumman Foundation announce today their partnership renewal in continuance of a national Early Childhood STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Learning Through the Arts initiative for preschool and Kindergarten children, their teachers, parents, and caregivers at ten locations around the country. This unique program integrates elements of the performing arts into existing school curriculum to teach STEM concepts and skills to children ages 3-5 years. Wolf Trap's approach has been the subject of independent research that documents the positive impact of arts-based learning strategies on children's cognitive and social development and school readiness in areas including math and logic.

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The program features multi-session classroom residencies; professional development workshops for administrators, teachers, and specialists; and family involvement workshops for parents and caregivers. In each of these sessions, Wolf Trap Teaching Artists will provide instruction and collaborate with participants on ways to engage children in active STEM learning.

"The Northrop Grumman Foundation is committed to providing unique educational experiences related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for students and teachers." said Sandra Evers-Manly, vice president of corporate responsibility and president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation. "We have seen great success with the many STEM programs we support around the country for middle and high school students and teachers. We are pleased to once again partner with Wolf Trap on this program to reach children even earlier in their education, tapping into their natural interest in the arts, to encourage interest and curiosity in the topics of STEM."

The second year of this Northrop Grumman-sponsored program will be offered in schools in Waldorf, MD; Cambridge, MD; Redondo Beach, CA; Melbourne, FL; Fairfax, VA; Hopewell, VA; Petersburg, VA; Lawton, OK; Colorado Springs, CO; and Irving, TX.

The Wolf Trap Early Childhood STEM Learning Through the Arts program was launched in 2010 in the metro D.C. region, building upon Wolf Trap's 30-year history developing and delivering early childhood arts education programs in public schools and Head Start centers.

"We appreciate Northrop Grumman's continued support and partnership on this Wolf Trap mission-critical program helping to prepare teachers, and to provide the next generation of students with the crucial skills they will need to fully round out their intellectual development," said Terrence Jones, president and CEO of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.

The Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts is an internationally respected program that provides innovative arts-based teaching strategies and services in more than 1,000 classrooms serving 35,000 young children, their parents, educators, and teaching artists each year. Since 1981, the Wolf Trap Institute has been integrating the arts—including music, movement, story-telling, and drama—into preschool and Kindergarten curriculum to enhance language, literacy, math, and science learning. By adding this latest initiative to its core services, Wolf Trap brings over three decades of experience in early childhood arts education to enhance STEM learning using its proven techniques and teaching models.

To learn more about Wolf Trap's Early STEM/Arts program, visit www.wolftrap.org/stem, or contact Akua Kouyate, Senior Director, Education ([email protected]; 800-404-8461 or 703-255-1933). 

About Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts

Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded by Catherine Filene Shouse (1896-1994), produces and presents a full range of performance and education programs in the Greater Washington area, as well as nationally and internationally. Wolf Trap features three performance venues, the outdoor Filene Center and Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods, both located at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and The Barns at Wolf Trap, located down the road from the park and adjacent to the Center for Education at Wolf Trap. The 7,028-seat Filene Center is operated in partnership with the National Park Service and annually showcases an extensive list of diverse artists, ranging from pop, country, folk, and blues to classical music, dance, and theater, as well as multimedia presentations, from May through September.  The Barns operates year round, and during the summer months is home to the GRAMMY-nominated Wolf Trap Opera Company, one of America's outstanding resident ensemble programs for young opera singers. Wolf Trap's education programs include the nationally acclaimed Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods, a diverse array of arts education classes, grants, and a nationally recognized internship program that was included in Bloomberg BusinessWeek's 2009 List of "Best Places to Intern." As part of its ongoing commitment to protect and preserve the environment, Wolf Trap offers metro access and is a founding member of the Green Music Group. Terrence D. Jones is president and CEO of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. Visit the Wolf Trap Web site at www.wolftrap.org for more information.

About the Northrop Grumman Foundation

The Northrop Grumman Foundation supports diverse and sustainable programs for students and teachers. These programs create innovative education experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. For more information please visit www.northropgrumman.com/foundation.

SOURCE Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts