IN-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

From our executive director…

A few years ago, I was teaching a residency in a 2nd and 3rd grade special needs classroom. One student, a nonverbal girl, always sat quietly in the back. Kind teachers. Supportive environment. But she never engaged.

Each week, I brought in a different instrument to share with the class—sometimes something familiar like a guitar, other times something more unusual like a dulcimer or a Tibetan singing bowl. I'd invite each student up, one at a time, to sit at the front of the room and explore the instrument hands-on.

One day, I brought in a guitar. When I invited her up—this quiet, observant girl who had never once joined in—she stood up, walked to the front, and played. The room went still. That moment—when she chose to step forward and make music—shifted everything. She began participating regularly, and the way her classmates and teachers saw her changed too.

That story captures exactly what drives us at Art House—the moments when a child is empowered to express themselves and be truly seen.

For more information about our In-School Programs, email our Executive Director, Micah Burgess.