The
March 21 all-student matinee performance in Denver will provide more
than 2,700 Denver area high school students the opportunity to
experience the musical HAMILTON after having spent
several weeks in their classrooms studying American history through a
special integrated curriculum about Alexander Hamilton and the nation’s
Founding Fathers.
In addition to seeing a performance of HAMILTON, students will participate in a Q&A with members of the HAMILTON
cast. As well, students representing various schools in attendance
will perform an original work they created based on their classroom
studies – songs, rap, poetry, scenes, monologues – on The Buell Theatre
stage in front of their peers.
The
Hamilton Education Program is one of several history education programs
at the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Its president,
James G. Basker -- who devised the education program in New York in
tandem with HAMILTON creator Lin-Manuel Miranda,
producer Jeffrey Seller, The Rockefeller Foundation and the NYC
Department of Education -- adds, “This project is transformative. HAMILTON
has struck a chord with our nation’s students because it embodies what
great history education is all about: bringing the past to life, and
fostering connections with the exceptional individuals and moments that
have made us who we are. This program empowers students to reclaim their
own narrative and empowers teachers to bridge classroom learning with
the stage.”
HAMILTON producer Jeffrey Seller, who was instrumental in developing the HAMILTON Education Program, says about the program in Denver, “Our goal is to ensure that students have a shot to see HAMILTON
and use its words, music and staging to further their understanding and
enjoyment of American History, music and drama. We’ve had the pleasure
of expanding the education program outside of New York in Los Angeles,
Chicago and other cities around the country.”
Dr. Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation said “After
the initial success of the partnership in New York City we could not
throw away our shot to ensure students across the United States had the
opportunity to witness living breathing history. We look forward to
seeing the creativity and engagement this program continues to spur.” ‘
Google has worked with the HAMILTON
producers to make tickets for this educational partnership available
thanks to funding from their philanthropic arm, Google.org.
"Google
is proud to work with Hamilton Education Program and the Gilder Lehrman
Institute of American History to bring Hamilton to thousands of
students in the Denver community. The play shares a critical piece of
American history and it's especially important for high school students
to be engaged in civic learning and have a deep understanding of our
country's past so they can make informed decisions about its future,"
says Gerardo Interiano, Head of External Affairs for Colorado.
Schools participating in the March 21 program include:
- Alameda International High School
- Arapahoe Ridge High School
- Atlas Preparatory School
- Bruce Randolph High School
- Denver School of Science and Technology Green Valley Ranch High School
- Denver South High School
- DSST: College View High School
- Early College Academy
- Emily Griffith High School
- Global Leadership Academy
- Harrison High School
- High Tech Early College
- John F. Kennedy High School
- Justice High School
- KIPP Denver Collegiate High School
- KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy
- Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy
- Legacy Options High School
- Manual High School
- Mapleton Early College High School
- Moffat School (K-12)
- Monte Vista High School
- Noel Community Arts School
- North High School
- Northglenn High School
- Overland High School
- RiseUp Community School
- Sheridan High School
- Sierra High School
- Strive Prep RISE
- STRIVE Prep- SMART
- STRIVE Prepatory Schools - Excel Campus
- The New America School Thornton
- Vantage Point High School
- Venture Prep
- West Early College
- West Leadership Academy
- York International
The
Rockefeller Foundation provided an initial grant of $1.46 million that
funded the educational partnership in New York City. After the
resounding success of the partnership in New York, The Rockefeller
Foundation committed an additional $6 million to the effort to support
the national expansion of the program. The Rockefeller Foundation has a
long history of supporting the arts and humanities, fueled by a belief
that the cultivation of aesthetic sensibilities through literature,
music and other fine arts is essential to the well-being of humanity.
The HAMILTON Education Program underscores the
Foundation's commitment to nurturing the vitality of American cultural
institutions and the role of the arts as a catalyst for social change.