Engaging students in learning through the arts!
Brookfield Neighbors Magazine - April 2025 Article
Article series for 2025: Creating Connections: Inspiring Lifelong Love of the Arts
Article by Jennifer Moran, Director of Marketing and Communications
We have just wrapped up our Beyond the Classroom student field trips for the current academic school year. This season, we welcomed over 3,500 students through our doors to enjoy productions of Peter Rabbit and Friends, Florentine Opera’s Cinderella, The Magic School Bus, The Giver, and The Gruffalo’s Child. All five of these performances featured productions by outstanding national and local performing arts companies that bring literature, science and music to life.
The impact of these performances extends beyond entertainment, fostering cultural awareness, emotional connection, and engagement in learning. One such example is the Florentine Opera’s production of Cinderella. An educator from Banting Elementary reflected on the experience, sharing, “Many of our students are Spanish speakers. It was amazing for them to see a Puerto Rican actor who sang in Italian and French and acted in English. Representation is so important. The sky is the limit!”
At the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center of the Arts, our Beyond the Classroom student field trip series embodies and exemplifies art education in the community. For children pre-K through middle school, the Wilson Center student field trip performances allow students to experience and engage with world-class guest artists who bring a focus on education, emotional growth and student enjoyment through their performances. The shows selected for students are designed to enhance curriculum and engage students in learning through the arts. These live performances are aligned with many Wisconsin DPI standards and will enrich and enhance a student’s educational experience.
Many students who attend these field trip performances are being introduced to performing arts for the first time. A trip to the theater is very special and creates a life-long passion for performance and storytelling. An educator offered this feedback after seeing Peter Rabbit and Friends, “I have a blind student in my classroom who had a smile on her face throughout this whole experience. She loved listening to the music and sound effects to familiar stories. The entire class was also really engaged with the turn and talks while waiting for our bus. Thank you for a wonderful experience!”
The next season of Beyond the Classroom for the 2025/26 school year will be announced mid-April! Educators interested in providing their students with an unforgettable, curriculum-enhancing arts experience can reserve group tickets at www.wilson-center.com/beyond-the-classroom. Educators, please join us to go Beyond the Classroom to connect school curriculum and engage students in learning through the arts!