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The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable, New 42, and the Arts Education Advisory Committee invite you to a forum on May 20, 2026, from 8am to 9:30am ET, at The New Victory Theater. This in-person gathering will explore how the arts enhance the culture of learning and partnership, positioning creativity as an essential pillar of student success, while exploring opportunities to improve and sustain the sector.

Featuring student, artist, educator, philanthropic, and legislative speakers, this event provides a unique opportunity for attendees to engage in cross-sector discussion on strengthening the arts ecosystem and its impact on our schools. Join us for an arts-filled and engaging session as we build the momentum necessary to turn our shared vision into a reality.

Catered breakfast and refreshments will be provided. This event is invitation-only; capacity is limited. Please register by Monday, May 18th to reserve your spot.

About New Victory Theater

The New Victory opens new worlds to young people and families through extraordinary performances, education and engagement programs. Bringing kids to the arts and the arts to kids since 1995, this nonprofit theater has become a standard-bearer of quality performing arts for young audiences in the United States. Reflecting and serving the multicultural city it calls home, The New Victory is committed to arts access for all communities of New York to experience and engage with the exemplary international shows on its stages. A global leader in arts education, youth development and audience engagement, the New Victory Theater has been honored by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, by Americans for the Arts with a national Arts Education Award, and by the Drama Desk for “providing enchanting, sophisticated children’s theater that appeals to the child in all of us, and for nurturing a love of theater in young people.”

About New 42

New 42 was founded to breathe new life into 42nd Street and its historic theaters, transforming the block into a vibrant and youthful theater district. Today and every day, we continue to spark awe and wonder, opening new worlds to young audiences through New Victory Theater, incubating new works at New 42 Studios, and paving new pathways to creative careers through our artist and mentorship programs. Under the leadership of President & CEO Russell Granet and Board Chairman Henry Tisch, New 42’s mission is to make extraordinary performing arts a vital part of everyone’s life from the earliest years onward. Driven for 35 years by the belief that the performing arts have the power to connect and change us all, we continue to expand what’s possible for artists, audiences, and the future of the performing arts. New 42 is the recipient of a 2025 Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre.

The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable is a service organization working to advance the state of arts education in NYC schools and beyond. We are a community of organizations and practitioners that shares information, provides professional development, and communicates with the public to promote our work in schools and beyond.

The Arts Education Advisory Committee is made up of school leaders, certified arts teachers, higher education scholars, cultural arts workers and philanthropists who have seen firsthand the impact engaging with the arts has on NYC students. The Committee acts as champions for the arts to both the Mayor’s Panel for Educational Policy and Government offices. We behave as thought partners with the NYCPS Arts Office, seeking creative solutions to establish a realistic, equitable foundation for arts instruction in every NYC public school, and we support pathways to a bright and bold future for all our students. Members include:

• Candice Anderson, Executive Director, Cool Culture
• Jody Gottfried Arnhold, Founder, Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) 92nd Street Y; Arnhold Foundation
• Courtney J. Boddie, Vice President of Education and School Engagement, The New Victory Theatre/New 42; Arts Committee Co-Chair
• Sarah Calderón, US Cultural Policy Fellow, Stanford University
• Elizabeth Cooper, Music Teacher, C.S. 154 Harriet Tubman Learning Center; Arts Committee Co-Chair
• Sharon Dunn, Vice President for Education Emerita, New-York Historical Society
• James C. Horton, President and CEO, Harlem School of the Arts
• Sobha Kavanakudiyil, Director, Graduate Program in Educational Theatre at The City College
• of New York
• Dr. Darling J. Miramey, Policy Advisor, Language Assistance Advisory Committee, NYC Civic Engagement Commission; Advisory Council for Boldly Reimagining Multilingual Education, NYCPS; Executive Producer and Chief Curator, MultilingualNYC.org
• Keeshon Morrow, Assistant Principal and Supervisor of the Arts and Special Education,
• Repertory Company High School for Theatre Arts
• Kimberly Olsen, Executive Director, New York City Arts in Education Roundtable
• Maria Palma, Retired arts administrator, Arts Office, NYCPS
• Shani Perez-Anthony, Visual Arts Teacher, PS 051 Elias Howe; Visiting Assistant Professor, Art and Design Education Department, Pratt Institute
• Leigh C. Ross, Program Director, Arts Education, Gender Equity and Early Childhood, New York Community Trust
• Tamia Blackman-Santana, Non-profit Executive; Law Student, CUNY School of Law
• John Scandone, Director of Instrumental Music, (retired) Brooklyn High School of the Arts
• Laura Jean Watters, Executive Director, The Staten Island Foundation
• Stephen Yaffe, Chairperson, Arts for All Abilities Consortium
• George Young, Retired Principal, Arthur Tappan School