“Every time I witness a group of students entering The Soraya for a performance, my heart swells. I am reminded of those earliest opportunities I had as a child – school field trips, family outings, concerts at the holidays, and so much more. All of these were so influential in my life’s pursuits, and more so, shaped my worldview. It wasn’t even what transpired onstage that captivated me. It was the experience of being a part of something larger, being in the audience to share the awe and excitement.” – Thor Steingraber, Executive and Artistic Director, Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts.
The Soraya serves the 1.9 million residents in the culturally rich San Fernando Valley. Our arts education programs extend access to the arts for those unable to travel across large distances, including the low-income K-12 students who comprise the majority of students of the LAUSD public schools in the immediate vicinity of our venue. We provide in-person offerings and online programming to serve students and teachers from kindergarten through graduate studies, reaching K-12 public schools, charter schools, home school organizations, and parochial schools. To deepen our impact on students’ learning, our annual Summer Arts Institute invites educators from near and far to learn pioneering arts integration strategies, attracting more than 100 educators annually. Your investment in arts education is vital because it improves the emotional and mental well-being of our local students and helps them become their best selves — empathic, open-minded, and life-long learners.
Photo credit: Luis Luque
