Education
As one of the affiliated venues of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, The Parker offers several opportunities for students in grades Pre K–12 to attend performances and educational events that promote learning through the arts. These three unique programs that learning to life at the Parker.
STUDENT ENRICHMENT THROUGH THE ARTS (SEAS)
More than 25 Years. More than 3 Million Students. An Award-Winning Partnership.
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts has a unique partnership with the Broward County Public Schools that began even before the Broward Center opened its doors in 1991. A partner from the start, the School Board has always played an important role in the development and success of Broward Center’s education programs. This unique partnership led to the development of the award-winning Student Enrichment in the Arts program or SEAS, where Broward County Public School students enjoy live performances tied directly to curriculum goals free of charge. Each year, many performances on the SEAS calendar take place on the The Parker stage.
JM FAMILY ENTERPRISES SMART STAGE MATINEE SERIES
Where learning comes to life on stage Inspired by the award-winning Student Enrichment for the Arts (SEAS) program, Smart Stage Matinees are educational performances, produced by professional companies for students in grades Pre K–12 open to all school groups. Each show is curriculum-driven and aligned with state standards. Through the JM Family Enterprises Smart Stage Matinee Series, thousands of students attend performances at the Broward Center and The Parker each year ranging from include dance, music, drama and musical theater to math & science, history, civics and more. The series goes on sale in May 2020 for the coming academic year.
COUNTDOWN TO KINDERGARTEN
As part of the partnership with Broward County Public Schools, the Broward Center Education Team brings this special event to The Parker each year. Countdown to Kindergarten is a special day for families who are getting their children ready to enter Kindergarten. The event brings more than 1200 guests to the Parker each spring – hundreds of four-year-olds from pre-K programs in Broward County, along with their families - to learn the essential steps to be ready to enter Kindergarten. This collaborative event is part of a community-wide initiative to promote literacy called “Broward Reads: The Campaign for Grade Level Reading.
More than 30 community organizations come together to create a festival atmosphere with resources for school readiness, arts and crafts, book giveaways, a live DJ, a petting zoo, storytelling and more The highlight of the day is a live performance of the children’s classic fairy-tale The Three Little Pigs. Families receive complimentary tickets to the show and a copy of the book to read aloud to their children. Study guides are available in four languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese and Creyol) to promote reading at home for our diverse community. This program is just one of many early childhood learning programs that Broward Center is part of that are helping students learn through the arts.