We’re excited to share that the Special Education Foundation (SEF) is once again partnering with the Regional Arts Commission (RAC)  and the Pat and Ken Schutte family with generous grants to sponsor the Arts in the Classroom program during the 2025–2026 school year!.This marks another year of RAC’s dedicated $10,000 Program Support grant and Pat and Ken Schutte’s $2,500 contribution, empowering SEF to bring transformative arts and music programs directly into Special School District (SSD) classrooms.

Opera on the Go performance at Southview School

The Black Rep performance at Ackerman School

 What the 2025–2026 year holds

Thanks to this year’s support, local collaborators such as the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Metro Theater Company, and the Rep’s Imaginary Theatre Company—will bring live, school-based performances in theater, dance, and music directly to students in their home schools.

 Why the arts matter for students with disabilities

SEF’s Arts in the Classroom program delivers immersive, multi-sensory arts experiences that go far beyond mere enrichment:

• Cognitive gains: Students develop enhanced attention, focus, and critical-thinking skills by engaging with theatrical storytelling, musical structures, and artistic design.
• Language & communication: Exposure to rich vocabulary in scripts and dialogue supports improved language skills and expressive communication.
• Social empowerment: Group participation in performances boosts social interaction and collaboration, helping students press beyond isolation toward community.
• Confidence & self-esteem: Feedback, applause, and shared creative experiences foster pride and a strong sense of accomplishment.
• Empathy & perspective-taking: Through diverse characters and narratives, students build empathy—learning to relate to and understand experiences unlike their own.

Metro Theater’s performance at Litzsinger School

Thanks to the RAC and Shutte family’s continued sponsorships, SEF’s Arts in the Classroom is set ignite curiosity, creativity, and confidence in students with disabilities this coming school year. The arts open pathways—intellectually, socially, emotionally, and culturally—for every learner.