Enchanted Circle Theater (ECT) received a grant to enhance its Therapeutic Intervention Program (TIP) in the Holyoke public schools, which provides dynamic theater education for elementary students with cognitive and behavioral disorders.

In Fall 2013, ECT developed new theater arts residencies to provide project-based assignments to support students’ academic and social learning.  The residencies, including From Page to Stage: Literacy through the Arts; Poetry Writing into Performance, and Living History from the Inside Out, served eight classrooms for two weeks to a month. 

Director Priscilla Hellweg said Emily’s grant would enable ECT to purchase for TIP’s classroom use this year “much needed musical and performance related teaching tools,” such as bells, singing bowls, chimes, rhythm instruments, including drums, and microphones for public performances. 

Priscilla said the TIP program has been “an unqualified success,” with students experiencing heightened engagement, enhanced academic comprehension, improved communication skills and higher order thinking. 

One of the classroom teachers whose students participated wrote:  “You have not only [assisted] with social skills and academics, you have made me look at my teaching techniques and how to incorporate more [theater} into other areas of my curriculum.”

Emily was doing this work in England before she fell ill, so helping ECT in her name is a privilege.