It is imperative for the success of any community that students have access to the arts in the educational environment. Students with an education rich in the arts have higher GPAs and standardized test scores, and lower drop-out rates — benefits reaped by students regardless of socioeconomic status. As former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett stated, “The arts are an essential element of education, just like reading, writing, and arithmetic … music, dance, painting and theater are all keys that unlock profound human understanding and accomplishment.”

By donating to the Performing Arts Center’s Education Fund, you help us continue to connect students to the performing arts through our Class Acts Series and school outreach programs and workshops.

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Class Acts Series

The Class Acts Series enriches the intellectual, social and cultural vitality of K-12 students who reside in Tuscarawas and neighboring counties. These programs increase the exposure to subjects in the arts, sciences, health, music, and theatre. The series provides structured, intentional and experiential learning opportunities that complement and reinforce state-mandated K-12 curricula, develops academic potential, and contributes to intellectual growth and character development. The Class Acts programming directly supports the mission of the Performing Arts Center by providing low-cost opportunities for local students to experience the arts and by contributing to the region intellectually.

The student ticket price is $1 in the hope that cost will not be a barrier to attendance. Our objective is to provide low-cost world-class arts to children, and a meaningful and responsible opportunity for schools to expand their educational offerings while watching their bottom lines.

Class Acts Facts

Since 2011, the Performing Arts Center has welcomed:

  • 39,4281 Students
  • 20 School Districts Represented
  • 35 Different School Buildings
  • 5 Counties Served
Educator Testimonials

"I don't think people realize what an impact a program like this can have on Appalachian students who rarely get an opportunity to appreciate cultural arts. It is highly unlikely that even 1/10 of the students would have been able to attend something like this if not for the Class Act Series." – Pam Schram, Guidance Counselor, Claymont Schools 

Educational Outreach

Local schools are continually faced with budget cuts and are unable to bring high-quality arts programming into their schools. Given how impactful the arts can be for students, the Performing Arts Center has moved to fill this void. We’ve committed to bringing artists into schools annually for assemblies and workshops. In order to have the greatest impact on as many students as possible, artists are scheduled for multiple days, which comes at an increased cost. 

Educator Testimonials

"Our students and staff were extremely fortunate to have Cadence come to our school and perform. Many of our students may never have the opportunity to see a professional performance so we were thrilled to have Mr. Mitchell contact us to see if we could make it happen. Cadence provided a wonderful show that was engaging and fun for our students and staff!" - Troy Page, Principal, Port Washington Elementary School

“The students expressed that they appreciated the authenticity of Cadence and we spent some time talking about the differences between the "lights and glitter" of VoicePlay and the subdued style of Cadence. It was this difference that kept my students from really getting hyped up before the event like they did for VoicePlay. After the event, they were IN LOVE! The musical style was also very different and it gave the returning singers a chance to embrace the style of singing a cappella with less popular music.”  - Melanie Glazer, Music Teacher, Indian Valley High School

"Jason Farnham's visit to Central Elementary School had a tremendous impact on our students. His warm personality and authentic ability to interact with our students promoted a genuine love of the experiences he brought to life through his musical talents. As I watched our children during the event, it was easy to see how much they were enjoying themselves. The smiles on their faces and willingness to interact and engage was priceless. Truly, it is opportunities such as this that highlight the core objective of education-to find joy in learning." - John R. Zucal, Principal, New Philadelphia Central Elementary School

Educational Outreach Facts

Since 2016, the Performing Arts Center has connected professional artists with:

  • 31 Schools 
  • 9 Districts
  • 9,547 Students