Young Audiences Inspires with United We Discover Arts Program for Students with Disabilities; Program Funded by NJ Human Services’ Inclusive Healthy Communities Grant Program

April 18, 2024

(PRINCETON) - Young Audiences of New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania has launched an innovative arts program designed to provide enriching arts experiences for students with disabilities in New Jersey.

Called United We Discover, the program promotes inclusivity and creativity in education, ensuring that every child, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to explore the transformative power of the arts. The initiative is funded in part by an Inclusive Healthy Communities (IHC) grant from NJ Human Services' Division of Disability Service. United We Discover is currently available in Paterson, Newark, Hightstown, and New Brunswick. Programming is offered during the school day and in collaboration with classroom teachers.

"A well-rounded education includes the arts, and we want to ensure that students with disabilities have access and opportunities to explore and participate in arts programming," Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman said. "We're excited about our partnership with Young Audiences and how this program aims to increase positive perceptions, inclusion, and equitable experiences for individuals with disabilities."

IHC is a grant program established in 2020 by the Division of Disability Services. The grants help communities and organizations engaged in projects that promote the health and well-being of individuals with disabilities in the communities where they live.

"For so many kids, and especially kids with disabilities, it can be really hard to find success in a school setting," said Michele Russo, President and CEO of Young Audiences of New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania. "The arts offer a way for students to participate that is inclusive, that values their creativity and their voice and their vision and all of their capacities and just allows them to be freely supported to express themselves."

The United We Discover program offers a wide range of creative and educational opportunities, including:

• Inclusive workshops: Hands-on art making workshops led by professional teaching artists who have expertise working with students of diverse abilities.
• In school assemblies: Theatrical performances and other presentations designed to cultivate a better understanding of the lived experience of people with disabilities and disability culture.
• Professional learning: Arts-based professional learning for teachers and educational leaders who work with students with disabilities and general education students.
• Community events: Programs in which students with and without disabilities co-create and experience art together-breaking down social isolation and negative perceptions by fostering a sense of community.
• Customized Programming: Schools and organizations can work closely with Young Audiences to tailor the program to the unique needs of their students, ensuring a truly inclusive experience.

"I want to give students the ability to know that they can express themselves as a human being and not as a caricature of what other people think they should be," said Erik James Montgomery, photographer and Young Audiences teaching artist. "I've seen students' lives change from the inside out. Their self-esteem grows leaps and bounds … They find out who they are. They find out what they like about themselves. They find out that they're just like everybody else, and they really take pride in that."

"I see a growth of acceptance," said actor and writer David Harrell, who often performs his original play, "The Boy Who Would Be Captain Hook," about his own experiences growing up with a disability. "They see my humanity through the course of my work."

"Each program is focused on uplifting positive perceptions of disability and includes teaching and learning strategies that help students who receive IEP services engage in creative arts alongside their general education peers," said Michelle Marigliano, Senior Director of Education and Equity at Young Audiences. "Our hope is that this programming will help the entire school community to better understand disability culture."

"The IHC program is working to build more inclusive communities, and expanding access to the arts for individuals with disabilities is an important component of this work," Human Services Deputy Commissioner for Aging and Disability Services Kaylee McGuire said. "The impact of this program not only supports youth with disabilities, but also changes societal perceptions and brings families and communities together."

"Participating in the arts benefits children in any number of ways - self-expression, problem-solving, self-confidence, empathy - and it helps build social connections between kids of all abilities," said Peri L. Nearon, Executive Director of the Division of Disability Services and founder of the IHC grant program. "We're delighted to support the development of the United We Discover program, because it helps to bring a first-hand, inclusive experience of the arts to every student in New Jersey."

Young Audiences is seeking partnerships with schools and community organizations to expand the reach of this important initiative. Learn more at yanjep.org.

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