Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows Program

Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows Program

In 2015, the Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows Program was launched in partnership with the New York City Arts Office with the goal of expanding equitable access to quality theater education for students by supporting public school theater teachers.

The Arthur Miller Foundation collaborated with Peter Avery, NYC Public Schools Director of Theater, to develop the program which is tailored to first, second and third year theater teachers, named Arthur Miller Fellows.  Fellows are provided with three years of dedicated support, including experienced mentors, cultural partner residencies, classroom resources, theater field trips for students and professional development opportunities.

Now in our 9th year, the program has expanded from 15 to 99 Fellows teaching in New York City public schools, impacting around 49,500 elementary, middle and high school students in all 5 boroughs of New York City. It is the only program of its kind, with a focus on integrating theater arts education into the academic day.

Meet Our Fellows

PROGRAM SUPPORT FOR ARTHUR MILLER FELLOWS:

1. Mentorship

Each fellow is matched with a professional veteran theater educator who serves as their dedicated mentor while they participate in the program.

Meet Our Mentors

2. Cultural Partner Residencies

Fellows select a multi-week residency on a specific topic of theater, bringing a teaching artist from a celebrated New York City cultural institution into their classroom to work with their students for 8-10 weeks.

(Please note our esteemed Cultural Partners below.)

3. Resources & Theater Tickets

Fellows receive toolkits of resources for their classrooms (rehearsal cubes, tablets, theater libraries, pipe & drape sets, etc.) and funds for students to attend live professional theater, including Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.

4. Professional Development

Fellows are required to participate in professional development workshops on various topics of theater and attend inter-visitations to observe veteran theater educators in action.

Arthur Miller Fellows are included in a learning community of peers, with whom they network and collaborate. They enjoy special events with the Arthur Miller Theater Education Program community throughout the year to broaden their repertoire of knowledge in the field and celebrate their noble work as theater educator artists.

Fellows teach units on storytelling, devising, production, playwriting, design, vocal technique and more.  They are guided in their teaching by the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Theater: PreK-12 developed by the New York City Department of Education.

Our Cultural Partners

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Meet Our Fellows
Meet Our Mentors

Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows Program participants are selected through an application process open to full-time certified New York City Department of Education theater teachers.

Priority is given to teachers in their first or second year of creating an in-school theater program.

The application period is closed for the 2022-2023 school year.

If you are a certified NYC DOE theater teacher with interest in applying for the 2023-2024 school year, please contact: info@arthurmillerfoundation.org

The Arthur Miller Foundation extends our gratitude to the New York City Department of Education for our rich partnership.  Special thanks to:

Peter Avery – Director of Theater, Office of Arts & Special Projects

Maria Palma – Executive Director, I.A., Office of Arts & Special Projects

Meisha Porter – New York City Public Schools Chancellor

Carmen Fariña – Former New York City Public Schools Chancellor

The Arthur Miller Foundation fondly remembers Paul King, former Executive Director of the NYC DOE Office of Arts and Special Projects. Paul was a warrior for arts education and a true champion of the Arthur Miller Theater Education Programs. We will be forever grateful for the indelible impact he made.  AMF will continue our work with Paul’s passion and commitment to equity and access for quality arts education clear in mind.

Feedback From Our Arthur Miller Fellows

I have been given resources for developing assessments, creating inventive content, and working with best practices...
The observations and communication that I have with my mentor really help me plan out my units and reflect on my instruction. It is incredibly helpful to have another professional theater teacher support me in my practice. I believe that I have grown in planning and instruction because of the valuable feedback and support that my mentor provides me.
The Arthur Miller Theater Education program has been invaluable to me as I embark on my first year as a DOE theater teacher.
My mentor has experience working with my student population (special education) and her insight, feedback and ideas have made all the difference in helping me create a roadmap that best suits their needs while providing creative and immersive theatrical experiences.
Teachers don't really have too many leftover funds, and it can be hard to make time to see theatre when your days are so full. Having professional development events that align with performances has been a great way to see and experience some of the best theatre in the world, and also a wonderful way to connect with my colleagues in a social setting.
Knowing that I have the support of this program makes me more confident as a theatre teacher, ultimately strengthening my practice.
The Arthur Miller Theater Education Program has been, by far, the greatest influence on my teaching practice since I began working as [a drama teacher]. The continued support from the DOE, my mentor, AMF peers, and partner organizations has provided me and, in turn, my students with the highest quality access to performing arts participation and instruction.
My classroom is a much more fun, engaging, structured, and productive place for arts learning as a direct result of supports from the Arthur Miller Theater Education Program.
Throughout the struggle to keep afloat, sometimes the first thing to go out the window is artistry; my mentor’s feedback, ideas, and perspective have helped me realign my teaching priorities. All new theater teachers should definitely look to the Arthur Miller Fellowship as a way to gain a supportive foundation as they embark on the journey that is teaching.
Without the aid from the Arthur Miller Foundation I would be in a very different situation than I am in right now. The Arthur Miller Foundation has given me a support system that not only encourages me to become a stronger educator, but infiltrates the system at my school to create a better environment for the arts.
I feel so grateful to be a part of this program. I have many students who struggle in their core classes and thrive in theater class. Theater class offers them a creative outlet, an opportunity to share stories and endless experience working in group settings.
We have kids who need to be adults at a young age. I try to help them understand that it's okay to feel. Through theater, they get validation that it's human to feel. Theater helps them connect to their humanity.
My students learn self-advocacy through theater. They get to decide who they are and what they want you to see about themselves.
My mentor has helped me design my lessons as if they are a theater piece, and helped connect me as an artist to me as a teacher. That connection has directly impacted my ability to manage my classroom.
This program has drastically and completely changed the way my teaching looks, fells and reaches my students.
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