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The Ross Ragland Theater — The Basins Largest Classroom

Annually, 10,000 children from 42 schools in our four-county region benefit from educational programs at The Ragland. The Ragland's Outreach & Education program provides cultural experiences to schoolchildren and adults through curriculum-based student matinees, pre-concert lectures, workshops and residencies with professional artists, day camps and a youth choir.

Arts Education Plays a Leading Role in Student Development

According to the Champions of Change research, by the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, and the Council of Chief State School Officers, "learners can attain higher levels of achievement through their engagement with the arts. Moreover, one of the critical research findings is that the learning in and through the arts can help "level the playing field" for youngsters from disadvantaged circumstances."

In a study of over 25,000 students, students with a high level arts education, versus a low level of exposure to the arts, performed an average of 20.3% better in areas including; Earning mostly A's & B's in English, scoring in the top two quartiles on standardized tests, considering community service important or very important, scoring in the top two quartiles in reading, history, citizenship, geography and many other areas.