“Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theatre.” - Gail Godwin.

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit for advocacy of the arts, found that young people engaging in the arts for at least three hours on three days each week through at least one full year are: 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement and participate in math and science fairs, as well as 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools and win an award for school attendance.

How is it then that the arts are the first thing to be cut? More importantly, how have we allowed it to happen? As a theatre in education specialist and arts outreach coordinator for various organizations, I personally have witnessed nonverbal and noncommunicative autistic children engage in dialogue, ESL students translating documents into and out of their native tongue, and awkward adolescents find their voice through paper and pen. The most memorable lessons and lasting lifelong learning happen when the arts are introduced into the lesson. Within this tiny town of Cape May, arts activists reveal themselves through their community programming and commitment to the craft. This blog serves to highlight to the Cape May community the arts programs that are available to them. Programming that will transform our thinking to become better citizens, better families, and better selves.