In the final months of the Fellowship, the 2025 TYA/USA Emerging Leader Fellows reflect on their research trips and how the experience has impacted their TYA practice.

In March 2025, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Bethesda, Maryland to visit Imagination Stage thanks to the Emerging Leader Fellowship through TYA/USA. During my time at IStage, I was able to connect with staff, observe educational programming and performances, and learn more about the visionary work that Imagination Stage is leading. When I applied for the Fellowship, I knew that Imagination Stage was the TYA organization I most wanted to visit due to their exceptional arts programming in schools and on-site at their location, specifically with early childhood, as this is one of my main focuses within my arts education work.

As the founder of a small theatre company, Philly Children’s Theatre, I am continually inspired by larger children’s theatre institutions that have become both regional flagships and national leaders. Witnessing their work firsthand gave me valuable insights into what is possible when a theatre commits to deep educational and community programming from the beginning.

The trip began with virtual planning sessions with Bekah Elles, IStage’s Head of Off-Site Programming, who thoughtfully helped map out my time there so that I would be able to explore many different areas of the theatre. During my first two days, I shadowed Bekah at two of IStage’s partner schools in Washington, DC. These schools serve 3- and 4-year-olds who receive arts programming from IStage teaching artists every single day. This daily commitment is rare in a program and I was eager to witness it in action. On the car ride to the first school, Bekah explained the structure of the programming. Teaching artists rotate through classrooms every day, so that within one week, each classroom experiences drama, music, art, yoga, and movement at the same time each day. Because these are early education classrooms, the students do not have a separate music or art teacher, making this programming from IStage their primary exposure to the arts. Offering programming during school hours also makes it accessible for all children in the classes as opposed to offering an after-school program where usually caregivers have to pay.

As Bekah and I went room to room at both schools, we witnessed a world filled with creativity. Children flowed through yoga poses, stretching into various poses with giggles. In the next classroom over, the rhythm of drums filled the space as young musicians and teachers played. Down the hall, a theatre teaching artist transformed the classroom into a miniature city, guiding children through role play as they “drove” on roads and visited stores to connect with their school curriculum. Finally, we peeked into an art classroom where children eagerly prepared their materials, ready to create.

What struck me most was not just the variety of art forms but the energy of the children themselves. Their familiarity with the teaching artists showed that the teaching artists were not occasional guests, they were woven into the daily fabric of school life. These partnerships with the schools are deep, and that certainly is not by accident. Witnessing this program was a powerful reminder of what can happen when arts education is treated not as an add-on, but as an integral part of learning that happens everyday. Imagination Stage has designed a program that is responsive to the needs of each school community. IStage undergoes various evaluations with the schools, teaching artists, classroom teachers, and students and then makes changes to their programming based on the responses, always open to evolving and changing.

On my final day of my trip, I observed Sami Topping, who leads IStage’s Caregiver & Me classes for children as young as 12 months up to 36 months. Sitting in a circle of toddlers and caregivers, singing songs, and navigating sensory play, I witnessed exploration and connection. I was struck by the intentionality behind even the smallest details, like offering multiple sensory box options to ensure safety and accessibility for the wide developmental range in the room. The young children and caregivers had an incredible time going on the jungle adventure (as did I!).

After the Caregiver and Me class and more conversations with the generous staff, I left Bethesda and headed back to Philadelphia on the train, inspired by the various arts education classes I had the chance to observe.

This past summer, that vision began to take shape through a pilot arts summer camp at the Center for Autism in Philadelphia through my theatre company. The camp drew directly on many of the practices I witnessed during my fellowship trip, including daily engagement across multiple art forms, consistent routines, and programming tailored to meet children where they are developmentally. I am so grateful to TYA/USA and Imagination Stage for this trip as it was an invaluable opportunity to learn from the people doing this work everyday and apply what I observed to my own practice.

Author Sarah Gordin

Sarah Gordin

Everyday Arts Education: Lessons from Imagination Stage