As part of our commitment to arts-based learning, each year, Ovations selects School-Time Performances not only for their artistic merit, but for the meaningful connections they offer to what students are learning in the classroom. These performances are designed to complement English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science curricula, while fostering social-emotional growth.

This season’s School-Time Performances reflect that commitment. Con Alma y Fuego with JazzReach brings Afro-Caribbean history and music to life, while Sacred Fires created by Firefly explores Wabanaki art and culture. Once Upon a Storytime with Lindz Amer and The Giver by Literature to Life invite audiences into the craft of storytelling. And MOMIX’s Botanica, Kaki King’s Bugs, and our Maine Artist in schools, little house dance, consider environmentalism, ecosystems, and our responsibility to the natural world.

While the performances themselves are chosen for their curriculum connections, we also provide educators with resources to embed learning in their classrooms like Educator Guides, pre and post-performance workshops for students, and professional development for teachers. Together, these resources offer tools grounded to deepen student engagement through arts experiences.

We take pride in knowing that these performances do more than entertain—they enrich the educational experience of the students who fill our theaters throughout the school year. We aim to create an educational culture in Portland where the arts are a vital part of every school’s curriculum and every student’s learning.