Classroom Lesson Plans
A library of free curriculum-based lesson plans, designed for the classroom—regardless of where that classroom may be!
Education at the Kennedy Center
Kennedy Center Education
Arts education as a mechanism for change.
At the Kennedy Center, we strive to engage and uplift all learners through quality arts education—in ways that spark curiosity, build empathy, and embolden citizen artistry.
Building the Future
of Arts Education
Professional development for educators. Summer intensives for young artists. Teaching artist guided activities. Performances for young audiences. Classroom lesson plans. Arts-focused digital media.
Kennedy Center Education offers a wide array of resources and experiences that inspire, excite, and empower students and young artists, plus the tools and connections to help educators incorporate the arts into classrooms of all types.
Our current teaching and learning priorities include:
Digital Resources Library
A robust collection of articles, videos, and podcasts that allow students of all ages to explore and learn about the arts online.
Performances for Schools
In-person and virtual performances, along with supporting educational content to help guide learning.
Teaching Artists Present
Video-based arts activities designed for young students, developed by Kennedy Center-supported teaching artists.
Explore our resources and sign up below to be informed of new and upcoming programs!
2022-2023 Performances for School Groups
2023-2024 Performances for School Groups
Browse the complete season and register your school group for education performances and events in our 2023-2024 season!
Complete the form below to join our mailing list and receive information on upcoming programs and performances from Kennedy Center Education.
Meet Jacqueline Woodson: Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence
Explore our Programs & Resources
Discover the Magic Performances & Programs
Theater, music, and dance performances belong in the hearts and minds of learners of all ages and abilities—we invite you to be a part of the wonder that our performances and arts education programs inspire.
Uplift the Classroom Resources for Educators
Professional development programs, workshops, evidence-based resources, replicable best practices—and more—all inside.
Nurture Talent Opportunities for Artists
Labs, class series, workshops, internships and competitions are a few of the opportunities to explore.
Evolve & Grow Research, Networks, & Conferences
How do we ensure we’re best engaging students? Through research, analysis and ongoing national collaboration on best practices.
Arts Education Highlights
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Special Feature Thank an Arts Teacher
Watch stories from Academy Award-winning actor, singer, and dancer Ariana DeBose and others recognizing the incredible impact of arts teachers nationwide.
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Interactive Experience Perfect Pitch
Take the field and learn the looks, sounds, history, and notable players of orchestral instruments from four eras—baroque, classical, romantic and modern. Next, use the interactive audio mixer to choose your players and hear them perform together. Finally, test your musical knowledge with a fun baseball-style quiz.
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Interactive Experience Whack-A-Note
Try your hand at sight-reading and note identification in this fun, interactive, musical carnival game! Get your username on the leader board and amaze your teachers and friends!
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Video Series Weird and Wonderful World of Opera
In this entertaining and educational four-part series we introduce the weird and wonderful world of opera - its history, music, styles, genres, and people. Host Peter Michael Marino provides a comprehensive exploration of the world of opera that results in a greater understanding and appreciation of the art form.
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Video Series Songbook
Are you ready to make some music? Songbook is (probably) the world’s first part-reality/part-scripted, musical/literary, educational, comedy web series for kids!
Each episode stars a different young person who wrote a poem inspired by a book, then comes to the Kennedy Center to set that poem to music with the help of a professional musician. Genuine surprises, big laughs, songwriting tips, and playlist-worthy tunes!
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Renée Fleming Presents Healing Breath
In this video series, Renée Fleming and special guests Christine Baranski, Jamie Barton, Angel Blue, Lawrence Brownlee, Kristin Chenoweth, Kurt Elling, Denyce Graves, Angelique Kidjo, Audra McDonald, Kelli O'Hara, Vanessa Williams, Stacie Aamon, Tom Sweitzer, and Indre Viskontas demonstrate simple exercises for singers that develop and strengthen the muscles involved in healthy breathing.
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Behind the Scenes What I Do
How do artists make decisions about what audiences see and hear on stage? What I Do explores the behind the scenes decisions through eyes of the artists who make them.
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Moonshot@Home Activity In Your Face: Portrait Photography
A portrait is an image, usually of a person. A portrait tells the viewer a story about the person in the image by the choices the portrait’s creator makes. In this media activity, we’ll explore the impact of those choices, focusing on the subject, setting, and story of your portrait.
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We acknowledge that the Kennedy Center is standing on the traditional land of the Nacotchtank and Piscataway peoples past and present, and honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have been the stewards of this land throughout the generations.
Kennedy Center Education
Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; Annenberg Foundation; the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Bank of America; Bender Foundation, Inc.; Carter and Melissa Cafritz Trust; Carnegie Corporation of New York; DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; Estée Lauder; Exelon; Flocabulary; Harman Family Foundation; The Hearst Foundations; the Herb Alpert Foundation; the Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The King-White Family Foundation and Dr. J. Douglas White; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation;
Music Theatre International; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; the National Endowment for the Arts; Newman’s Own Foundation; Nordstrom; Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Prince Charitable Trusts; Soundtrap; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; UnitedHealth Group; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; and Volkswagen Group of America. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts.
The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.