With the 2020-2021 school year being anything but ordinary, the Hylton Center's Education Initiative had to quickly rethink programming for local students. Working with artists from across the country, the education season of virtual field trips was reimagined for approximately 11,500 students in Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park. In fall 2020, the musicians of Sound Impact led students on a “Time Travel” adventure through music history, while A Place To Be and the residents of “The Land of Music” taught children how to use music to be brave during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fall 2020 programming came to a close with “Think Outside the Drum” by Grammy® Award-winning percussion quartet Third Coast Percussion. During the winter months, students learned about the history of Stepping from Step Afrika!, and they took a virtual and musical walk through the Virginia woods to explore nature in springtime with Billy B. The American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Virginia also brought their 90-minute version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the computer screens of middle and high school students. Finally, we presented and recorded members of the George Mason University Jazz Faculty in Merchant Hall for a 45-minute field trip celebrating America’s Jazz Legacy, and the Barter Players of the historic Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia presented Peter Pan for streaming to students. While the season was a departure from past years, it presented a unique and creative opportunity to work with a variety of remarkable artists in the virtual realm, offering thousands of local school children and teachers accessibility to performances they might not otherwise have been able to attend in person.
Thank you to The McNichols Family Foundation, Education Initiatives Sponsor