CUNY • Creative Arts Team

2013-2014 Annual Report

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Inside this report…

Introductory Letter ................................................................................. 5

About CUNY-CAT ................................................................................... 7

CUNY-CAT in FY2014—by the numbers .............................................. 8

Early Learning ........................................................................................ 10

Middle Grades Literacy ...................................................................... 12

Bullying Prevention ............................................................................... 14

High School Programs ......................................................................... 16

After School Programs ......................................................................... 18

HIV Prevention ...................................................................................... 20

College Readiness & Success ............................................................ 22

Youth Theatre ........................................................................................ 24

Shakespeare ......................................................................................... 26

Professional Development .................................................................. 28

CUNY SPS Masters in Applied Theatre .............................................. 30

Acknowledgments—FY2014 Work Site List by borough ................ 32

Acknowledgments—Support ............................................................. 34

“CAT has given me a new

confidence in teaching

skills that seem to work for

all ages. I will now seek to

engage my students more

and help facilitate their

participation.”

6th grade Teacher

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Dear Friends,

Thanks to our public and private sector funding and program partners, in the last year

CAT was able to bring transformative programming to over 14,000 individuals: New York

City students, homeless families, teachers, staff at some of the most effective CBOs in

the City, parents, Corrections Officers, CUNY students and more. This number represents

a remarkable mix of people that embody the diversity of this City in all ways, including

the range of needs and ambitions we hold—to improve our lives through education or a

better job; to learn how to manage the challenges life throws at us; to improve our

health; to stay the course and finish what we start, whether it’s a degree program or a

commitment to be a better parent.

These are the people behind the numbers. All of CAT’s work is participant-centered,

geared towards helping people define the challenges they face and tapping the

resources they hold to improve their lives.

For young people, by far the largest group CAT served last year – from pre-K through

college at over 200 schools and campuses across the City – CAT’s creative and

interactive educational activities address key issues from literacy to bullying, from HIV/

AIDS prevention to workplace and college readiness. Less tangible but no less important

are the core social-emotional skills participants develop in CAT programs: the ability to

relate to others, deal with conflicts, make good decisions and become stakeholders in

their communities, whether the communities are their classrooms, their neighborhoods or

larger circles. These skills and competencies are critical for their success in school and

beyond, now and in their future.

We are pleased to share this report which details the exciting and varied approaches

CAT takes to use drama to change lives. On behalf of the thousands of lives we were

able to positively impact in the past year, we would like to thank our program and

funding partners for their generosity and their commitment to support the success of

young people in so many settings throughout New York City and beyond.

Stephen R. Aiello Lynda Zimmerman

Chair, Advisory Council Executive Director

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About CAT

WHO WE ARE: CAT uses the power of drama to inspire youth to learn. Since its founding in 1974, CAT

has served more than a million young people, specifically marginalized, at-risk and ELL youth in all five

boroughs of NYC, and has a proven track record of success in strengthening three important and inter-

related life skills: literacy, critical thinking, and social-emotional competency. CAT is an educational

outreach program at The City University of New York (CUNY), and in partnership with CUNY’s School of

Professional Studies, offers the nation’s first M.A. in Applied Theatre – using theatre to facilitate, educate

and activate.

WHAT WE DO: Theatre cultivates a unique skill set that is indispensable for the 21st Century – primarily

communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. CAT enriches the lives of our participants

through a pedagogy which combines educational drama strategies with research-based theories and

practices to create participant-centered, interactive drama experiences. The needs, strengths and

learning styles of participants inform the actual content of workshops. CAT offers a wide range of

programs for students (pre-K through college), educators, parents, schools, and communities that serve

diverse needs, such as College Success and Workplace Readiness, Bullying Prevention, Literacy and

Healthy Choices, as well as arts enrichment.

With four decades of dedicated school and community partnerships, professional development

workshops, and our award-winning Youth Theatre, CAT has reached over a million students, educators,

parents, community members and teaching artists in New York City, across the nation and around the

world.

40 Years of CAT... by the Numbers

1 Founder and Executive Director

12 countries, including South Africa, UAE, Japan, among others, have invited CAT

to provide educational theatre work for young people and educators

200 average number of schools and community sites that receive

CAT direct services every year

750 teaching artists and administrators employed by CAT since 1974

1,000 average number of educators, parents and CBO staff who receive

CAT professional development every year

80,000 workshops and performances provided by CAT since 1974

1,250,000 the number of young people, parents and educators

whose lives have been impacted by CAT since 1974

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High School and College Students received

HIV/STI testing due to CAT’s HIV prevention program 229

Pre-K—12th Graders throughout

NYC participated in CAT’s literacy programs 2,833

of participating teachers reported that CAT’s

Professional Development workshops addressed diverse

learning needs in their classrooms 99%

High School and Non-Traditional Students

participated in CAT’s College Readiness programs 2,962

FY2014—By The Numbers...

96% of participating parents felt that CAT’s Parent Workshops

helped prepare them to recognize bullying situations their

child may be involved in and to support their child in finding

better ways to resolve conflicts

cost to a student to participate in any CAT program $0

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Young People, Parents and Educators

participated in CAT programs in FY2014 14,155

CAT participants

were in shelters or detention facilities 433

NYC Teachers participated

in CAT’s Professional

Development workshops 730

1,228 Students benefitted from City Council discretionary allocations

and CASA grants awarded to CAT

213 Schools & Community

Sites received CAT

services in FY2014

CUNY students

participated in

CAT workshops 3,163

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97%

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97% of participating teachers reported that ELP workshops

support them in creating a culture of learning that supports high-level thinking and questioning, and inspires increased student participation, enthusiasm, and problem-solving.

Early Learning

“ My “aha” was to

actively invite children

to become part of the

process. They gain so

much more as they

own the story. This has

truly changed the

manner in with I teach.

Thank you.”

Early Childhood

Educator

“THIS is exactly how

they need to learn

early literacy skills AND

be engaged!”

K–5th Grade

Literacy Coach

CAT’s Early Learning Program (ELP) offers high-quality, direct

services to early childhood students through interactive drama. ELP

strengthens English language acquisition, literacy, and essential

social-emotional skills among pre-k through 2nd grade students.

Additionally, CAT’s participant-centered pedagogy helps teachers

meet Common Core Standards. The program offers a menu of

professional development workshops that train educators to

integrate drama into their daily practice to support emergent

literacy skills, such as recall, sequencing, projection, inference, oral

language and vocabulary acquisition.

In FY2014, ELP continued its successful teacher training-mentoring

residencies in several NYC public schools and Head Start programs.

Of particular excitement was the collaboration with Birch Family

Services, an organization that provides high quality education and

residential services to people with autism and other developmental

disabilities. Birch staff participated in an all-day professional

development on interactive storytelling, ELPs “signature” drama

strategy, and then hosted CAT actor/teachers for residencies during

which the teachers observed and then led their own interactive

storytelling. The success of the collaboration led to Birch including

CAT’s professional development as part of their application for the

Edith Glick Shoolman Grant. Upon receiving the grant, Birch was

able to quadruple the number of educators and sites served by

CAT’s ELP staff.

1,639 Early Learners from Head Start & Pre-K through 2nd Grade

389 Early Childhood Educators

232 Parents

95 Schools & Community Sites, including 4 Transitional Housing Sites

28 Emergent Literacy & Mentoring Residencies

16 Professional Development Workshops & 3 Conference Presentations

25 Parent Workshops

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94% of participating in-school teachers reported an

increase in students’ vocabulary, writing and speaking skills, as

well as empathy, self-expression, collaboration and creative

problem-solving.

CAT’s Middle Grades Literacy initiative includes three distinct programs:

year-long, intensive, in-school residencies in nine schools, after-school

programs in two schools, and Technical Assistance provision for eight

other DYCD-funded Adolescent Literacy Programs across the City.

The in-school, project-based curriculum, developed in close

coordination with classroom teachers, directly addressed academic

learning objectives in accordance with the Common Core Standards in

English Language Arts (ELA) with the goal of improving academic skills

and motivation. FY2014 featured a new focus on social studies –

understanding culture, conflict and setting within a historical context.

Placed in context-based roles during interactive activities, students re-

imagined experiences of everyday life in early civilizations; facing

conflicts, engaging in debate, and discussing critical decisions.

Immersion in text and open-ended, facilitated discussions helped

sharpen critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

In FY2014, CAT’s after-school Adolescent Literacy Program implemented

“the Reach Project,” which paired or “twinned” after-school students in

the Bronx and Brooklyn, giving them the chance get to know each

other throughout the year. Through various prompts and activities, the

students learned about their twin and their community. With literacy at

its core, The Reach Project was able to engage students in a fun and

interactive manner while building essential skills for the English Language

Arts (ELA) exams. The program encouraged students to write, read and

communicate in stronger ways, resulting in an overall improvement of

students’ literacy and interpersonal skills. Students consistently looked

forward to project activities, which positively affected retention and

provided an added bump to recruitment as participants themselves

helped promote the program to their peers.

1,052 In-School Students, Grades 6-9

53 After-School Students, Grades 6-8

1,930 Direct Service Hours of Literacy Programming

11 Schools in Year-Long Programs

8 Community Based Organizations received 860 hours of technical

assistance and professional development

Middle Grades Literacy

“I believe that this

program should be an

integral part of the ELA

curriculum. It helps to

bring concepts that

may be abstract in

nature to a more

tangible concept that

students can relate to. I

believe it impacts their

social-emotional as

well as academic

growth.”

Classroom Teacher

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90% of responding students said that they had learned

how violent behavior and cyberbullying can harm others and

different ways to solve conflicts and stay safe in violent situations.

Today’s students navigate a social world that includes a 24/7

digital feed, increasing pressure to fit in, and a media culture

saturated with violence, name-calling, and negative images and

messages. CAT’s Bullying Prevention program includes residencies

for students, teachers and parents that enhance critical thinking,

decision-making, and pro-social attitudes. Drama scenarios and

role play help participants understand the nature of bullying and

aggressive behavior. Participants have opportunities to explore

ways to prevent behaviors and attitudes that can lead to more

detrimental acts of bullying. More importantly, participants

identify the consequences of remaining silent in those situations.

In FY2014, our anti-bullying curriculum, #CRUNCHTIME, focused on

cyberbullying, competition and gender issues. The dramatic

storyline centered on two middle school students, a star athlete

on the basketball team who constantly bullies his teammate to

gain validation and respect from his peers. The aggressive

behavior leads to cyberbullying and forces his target to make

critical decisions about revenge or remaining silent. Participants

gained insight into factors that trigger bullying and violent

behavior in young people and were introduced to Restorative

Justice Models of dealing with conflict, empowering them as

problem-solvers and peacemakers.

1,794 Middle School Students

289 Workshops with Students

107 Teachers

38 Parents

27 Residencies

25 Professional Developments

12 Sites, including 2 Transitional Housing Sites

10 Parent Workshops

Bullying Prevention

“I learned that

sometimes when you

think that you’re

bothering someone

just for fun it could

really be hurting their

feelings and the

conflict could turn

into something it

didn’t have to turn

into.”

8th grade student

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85% of participating students said they were comfortable

working with people from different backgrounds, learning about other cultures and listening to the opinions of others (a 17% increase from pre-survey results).

In addition to ongoing College Readiness work with high

school populations, CAT launched two new high school

projects which used drama to focus on literacy, leadership

and cultural awareness.

The leadership project, at Bedford Academy in Brooklyn,

worked separately with male and female students to

support and strengthen students’ literacy skills – particularly

in ELA. Students participated in a series of thematic mini-

dramas, using interactive theatre, journal/poetry writing and

music to support literacy and youth development goals.

At Bronx High School of Visual Arts, a year-long project, titled

Bronx History Through Theatre: Resistance and Renaissance,

used a variety of theatre conventions and educational

strategies to explore history, culture and community in New

York City. The residency integrated local culture and history

as elements to deepen and amplify the learning objectives

included in the curriculum and the Common Core

Standards. The sessions enaged students in scene work, role

play, theatre tableaux, and facilitated dialogue to explore

three main themes: Family, Power and Truth vs. Deception.

These were infused strategically within a historical narrative

that followed a Bronx family's journey from the decades

surrounding the civil rights era through the present day.

381 High School Students

5 Long-Term Residencies in 3 schools

465 Direct Service Hours

High School Programs

“I realized that

some students

who never speak

in class really

shine when they

are given the

opportunity to

perform.”

High School

Teacher

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92% of responding students said the after-school Theatre

Arts Program helped them develop and strengthen their

performing/presentation skills

CAT provides tailored after-school programs supporting literacy,

critical thinking and social-emotional learning in New York’s

elementary, middle and high school students. In age-appropriate,

structured, interactive drama scenarios, students meet and advise

fictional characters who need their help to solve problems – and then

witness the outcomes and analyze the consequences. Residencies

often include culminating sharings and professional developments.

Last year, CAT developed the Theatre Arts Program (TAP) as an after-

school theatre-making program for the High School for Construction

Trades, Engineering and Architecture, which had no previous theatre

programming. In FY2014, CAT received 7 CASA (Cultural After School

Adventures) grants, providing similar theatre-making models in

elementary and middle schools across the city. CAT also conducted

after-school drama programs for elementary populations in two

transitional housing sites.

In the new middle school program, CAT Youth Theatre staff supported

young people in identifying and sharing their opinions about the world

around them. These ideas were then turned into original theatre. The

process of creating theatre included time for youth to reflect on what

they created, and what they felt they achieved. Students developed

performance and public speaking skills, negotiated with others in their

group to communicate their ideas, and then shared their ideas in an

original piece of theater called “Our Journey Together” for family,

friends, and school staff. For the students in shelters, actor-teachers

used theatre games and strategies to support social-emotional

learning and explore issues they may be facing – bullying, disrespect,

collaboration, anger management and violence. Role-play and other

interactive activities were used to help participants reflect on actions,

consider the consequences and identify alternative responses they

might make in the future.

13 After-School Residencies held in 12 Schools & Community Sites

269 Elementary, Middle and High School Students

350+ Audience Members attended Sharings

720 Direct Service Hours

After-School Programs

"We cooperated fine-

really good. We did

scenes based on each

other's ideas and lives.

We didn't say this is my

role, this is your role,

we came together

and trusted each other

as one."

“My favorite parts

were putting on the

show, doing dress

rehearsal, and

creating friendships.

Creating an original

production made us

feel confident when

the audience enjoyed

our skits.”

After-School

Participants

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92% of responding participants reported that they had a

better understanding of the risk factors associated with HIV/AIDS.

CAT’s primary HIV/AIDS and STI awareness and prevention program,

Project CHANGE, is a unique peer-education project supported by

the NYS Department of Health-AIDS Institute. CAT provides students

from CUNY’s Medgar Evers and York Colleges with awareness and

prevention training, as well as drama facilitation and mediation skills.

The students, as “CHANGE Agents,” work together with CAT in their

respective high-risk communities to advocate for optimal adolescent

sexual and reproductive health through CDC-approved evidence-

based curricula, interactive drama, community development, and

social media. Our goal is to provide the education and

encouragement needed to galvanize these high risk communities to

think critically about the best ways to safeguard their sexual and

reproductive health, and to identify and remove the barriers that

stand in their way.

In FY2014, CAT received additional HIV prevention funding from AIDS

United, through Alicia Keys’ Empowered Community Grants program.

This new project, CHERISH (Changing Habits, Environments,

Relationships in Sexual Health), builds on Project CHANGE by

specifically reaching young women of color. CHERISH empowers

young women to take charge of and pride in their own sexual health,

through female peer navigators (“Cherishers”), who infuse their

interactive drama presentations and community outreach methods

with a focus on the spiritual and cultural representation of the female

image, drawing upon African and Afro-Caribbean cultural expressions.

18 CHANGE Agents & Cherishers received 220 hours of training

1,591 High School & College Students

388 Parents & Community Members

262 Workshops

229 Participants received HIV/STI testing after

Project CHANGE & CHERISH workshops

Health & Wellness:

HIV Prevention

“Amongst the African-

American community,

there are very few

forums for young

women to come

together to be uplifted,

encouraged and

empowered. I think

back to my high

school days and how

important it would

have been for me to

have a support group,

I take pride in the work

of project CHERISH.”

Cherisher

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95% of Black Male Initiative participants reported that they

were more aware of the resources available to help them

achieve their academic goals.

Through interactive strategies and drama, CAT’s College and Adult

Program (CAP) focuses on specific issues, circumstances and

behaviors that create obstacles in our everyday lives, particularly as

they affect academic and career opportunities. CAP workshops

encourage participants to carefully examine the choices, decisions

and consequences of everyday challenges to discover solutions and

hone problem-solving, decision-making, self-advocacy,

communication and critical thinking skills.

CAP works with diverse traditional and nontraditional populations

from high school students to incarcerated youth to immigrants to

returning CUNY students. Success is scaffolded - preparing students

for college, providing the skills to keep them there through

graduation, and providing the skills to make them workforce ready.

Partner programs include: CUNY At Home In College, Black Male

Initiative, COPE/GSI, and Fatherhood Academy; as well as Homes for

the Homeless, STAR ESI, CUNY Prep, College Focus, and Rikers Island

Detention Facilities.

In FY2014, the CAP team noted and addressed a shift in the pre-

college mentality of participating high school students. Many

admitted that they felt they lacked the maturity for the

responsibilities and self-motivation involved in college life. Still, quite a

few regard college as their only way of accessing a better way of

life. CAP workshops helped them define those barriers and improve

their goal-setting, attitude, and chances for success.

2,191 High School students

1,706 CUNY students

290 Incarcerated Young Adults

53 Sites, including 14 CUNY campuses,

33 High Schools, 4 Rikers Island Detention Facilities,

and 2 Transitional Housing Sites

College Readiness & Success

“I wish this particular

workshop could

become a required

experience for every

CUNY faculty, staff,

student, administrator,

so we in CUNY could

become the catalyst

for such discussion

citywide, and nation-

wide.”

Professor,

College of

Staten Island

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86% of FY2014 Youth Theatre (high school) graduates are

currently in college.

CAT Youth Theatre is a free, award-winning, after-school program

for NYC middle and high school students to create original

theatre. The playbuilding process gives young people the

opportunity to make new meanings from the material of their lives.

Members meet weekly to explore their ideas and creatively build

their skills through theatre games and exercises, improvisations and

scene work, rehearsal, critical reflection, and group discussion.

There is no audition or tuition with members invited on a first-come,

first-served basis. The criterion is only a commitment to be an active

and collaborative participant. This unique approach stimulates

creativity, self-esteem and resiliency, broadens horizons, builds a

strong sense of community, and encourages young people to

reflect on what it means to be both an artist and an actively

engaged citizen.

The Youth Theatre’s 2014 original show, IN TRUTH, asked audiences

to consider their own relationships with truth. Within our families or

within our society, what are the stories we are told and those we

choose to tell? Why are certain things harder for us to talk honestly

about? Members worked with five professional directors to examine

various issues ranging from sex to drugs, from our current

relationships to our national history. The Junior Youth Theatre cohort

presented three original performances throughout the year,

including “The World of Snow White,” which used the story to

examine such issues as bullying, beauty, health, and media. Youth

Theatre alumni closed out FY14 with a performance by The

Ensemble, a select group of skilled devisers and performers, and a

“Play-in-a-Day”, created by 17 alumni ranging from 2014 graduates

to founding members.

45 High School Students Youth Theatre Members

29 Middle School Students Jr. Youth Theatre Members

1,086 Audience Members attended the Youth Theatre

production at Baruch & Tribeca Performing Arts Centers

281 Audience Members attended three Jr. Youth Theatre shows

Youth Theatre

“I toggled back and

forth-beyond being

amazed-between

‘these kids are so lucky

to be working with such

adults’ and ‘these

adults are so lucky to

be working with such

kids.’ Then, I thought,

how can we expect

kids to learn the

common core, when

there is a real,

underlying "common

core" they have to

struggle with first?

Congratulations! What

a profound difference

your work makes and

how important it is.”

YT Audience Member

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100% of participating teachers reported an increase

in their students’ self-expression, empathy, ability to collaborate and solve problems creatively, as well as improved literacy skills and an increased interest in Shakespeare.

Founded in 1993 on the belief that Shakespeare is best learned in the act

of performing his words, CAT's NYC Student Shakespeare Festival

(NYCSSF) has provided more than 10,000 young people and 400 teachers

with a chance to create their own work of original theatre using

Shakespeare's text and to perform their work on an off-Broadway stage.

Participating teachers attend an interactive Professional Development

series, followed by in-class workshops with our Shakespeare Festival

teaching artists. Teachers and their students create an 8-minute scene,

exploring an issue important to the students using only the words of

Shakespeare. Students and teachers then come together to perform

their scenes and participate in peer-to-peer feedback sessions at the

culminating, multi-day Festival.

NYCSSF efforts in FY2014 included giving more structure and support to

our participating teachers. Making the first professional development

workshop mandatory for ALL first- and second-year teachers ensured

they had all of the tools necessary for the project, and it allowed our new

and veteran teachers alike to move on to more advanced work in the

second and third workshops. Also, the program moved toward more

issue-based work, encouraging students to choose topics important to

them, such as bullying, gossip, family, war and love. For example, seven

different classes used scenes from Macbeth to illustrate the self-

destructive nature of violence. CAT has found that addressing these

issues through the lens of Shakespeare often gives students (and

teachers) more accessible ways to understand and love Shakespeare.

650 Student participants, grades 2-12

26 Teacher participants

20 citywide participating Schools

93 Shakespeare in the Classroom Workshops

3 all-day Professional Development Workshops

4 Culminating Festival Days at the Lucille Lortel Theatre

NYC Student Shakespeare Festival

“I am positive that this

program has helped each

and every one of my

students become better

readers, better writers,

better speakers, better

communicators, and more

well-rounded individuals.

The one comment that

sticks in my mind is one that

I heard on the train ride

back to East Elmhurst. When

I asked one of my students

her thoughts about the day,

she responded: ‘I will

remember it until I die.’ I

told her that I would too.”

Participating Teacher

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100% of participating educators said that the workshop

was very useful to their work and/or education and that they were likely to use what they learned in their own classrooms.

A vital part of CAT’s mission is to share the interactive, student-centered

teaching methods that make such an impact with young people,

ensuring that our work doesn’t end when our actor-teachers leave the

classroom. To that end, CAT has been providing professional

development opportunities for educators and other youth development

professionals for decades. CAT’s robust, practical workshops are

enjoyable, hands-on, and tailored to address pertinent topics within the

greater NYC community.

In FY2014, CAT’s professional development outreach included workshops

in Early Childhood Education, School Violence Prevention and DASA

(NYSED’s Dignity for All Students Act), HIV Prevention, Shakespeare, as

well as workshops for Homes for the Homeless and Expanded Success

Initiative (ESI) educators. FY2014 also included presentations at several

conferences, including: the Institute for Children, Poverty &

Homelessness—Beyond Housing Conference; National Association of

After School; Supporting Excellence Conference; Annual Pedagogy and

Theatre of the Oppressed; National Association for Education of Young

Children; NYC Arts-in-Education Roundtable; and the American Alliance

for Theatre Education.

FY2014 was also CAT’s culminating year as Technical Assistance Provider

for 8 other Adolescent Literacy Providers across the city. After 4 years,

more than 100 on-site observations, 13 cross-site networking meetings,

and more than 50 professional development and on-site staff or curricular

development workshops, CAT’s effect on our partner CBOs was evident.

As the Director of Youth Services for HANAC, Inc., wrote: “CAT has helped

HANAC open the doors to more creative and theatrical activities for our

literacy program. This has helped our curriculum progress from strictly

literacy enhancement to a more arts based program. The best part of this

assistance from CAT is that not only did our curriculum change and

transform but the participants loved CAT’s ideas and this helped us with

program attendance and retention.” DYCD has selected CAT to once

again provide Technical Assistance, beginning in FY2015, for 16 Young

Adult Literacy Programs throughout the city.

1,820 Hours of Professional Development

638 Educators and Youth Development Professionals

145 Conference Participants

Professional Development

“I received so much

clarity in how

important it is to be

as SPECIFIC as

possible in my

presentation and the

ways I engage. I was

also strongly

reminded of how to

manage/or create

solutions when road

blocks occur.”

Professional

Development

Participant

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“...a standard-bearer for socially

conscious artists in training.” (American Theatre Magazine)

The M.A. in Applied Theatre (MAAT) degree program, the first of its

kind in the nation, uses theatre as a medium for education and

social development. Students use theatre and drama in a wide

variety of non-traditional contexts and venues – including the

justice system, healthcare, the political arena, community

development, classrooms, museums, and social service agencies.

The M.A. in Applied Theatre was founded in 2008, in partnership with

the Creative Arts Team and collaborates closely with its youth

theatre and other programs. The goal of the program is to educate

scholar-practitioners to become future leaders in the field of

applied theatre. Students explore key theories in theatre,

education, development, and community building, and acquire

the skills and strategies necessary for creating and implementing

the work. Students gain real-world experience by building and

delivering community-based applied theatre projects to earn their

degree.

In addition, a semi-annual visiting artists program brings MAAT

students and facutly to teach educational theatre techniques

to drama teachers at the Kigali Institute of Education in

Rwanda.

45 Current Students

99 Alumni

37 Collaborative Thesis Projects

76 Community Partners

50 Students or Alumni who work, or have worked, with CAT

4 Years of Project Rwanda

CUNY SPS Masters in

Applied Theatre

“When I look at what

we’ve done in one

year, I am convinced

that our applied

theatre techniques are

needed by our

communities. People

are hungry for a way to

connect. Having the

tools to facilitate that

connection means I

am able to create the

life I want, doing work

that is meaningful to

me.”

MAAT Alumna

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Bronx Astor Collegiate Academy

Belmont Community Day Care Center

Brightside Academy- St. Ann's

Bronx Collegiate Academy

Bronx Community College

Bronx Community College Early Childhood Center

Bronx Early College Academy for Teaching & Learning

Bronx Early Learning Center

Bronx Haven High School

Bronx High School for the Visual Arts

Bronx Leadership Academy II High School

Bronx River Day Care Center

Bronx School for Law Government and Justice

Bronxdale High School

Celiz Cruz Bronx High School of Music

Easter Seals New York Bronx Child Development Center

Eximius College Preparatory Academy

Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School

Fordham Bedford Community Services

Fordham High School for the Arts

H.E.R.O. High

Hostos Community College

Hostos-Lincoln Academy of Science

I.S. 117 Joseph H. Wade

In-Tech Academy (M.S./High School 368)

JHS 127- The Castle Hill School

Lehman College

Morris Academy for Collaborative Studies

Mott Haven Village Preparatory High School

Prospect Family Inn

PS 005 Port Morris

PS 028X Mount Hope

PS 146 Edward "Pop" Collins School

PS 211

PS 226

PS 51X The Bronx New School

Riverdale Presbyterian Church Nursery School

The Amalgamated Nursery School

The Forward School

University Heights Secondary School

Urban Assembly Bronx Studio School for Writing and Arts

Urban Assembly School for Careers in Sports

Volunteers of America

Williamsbridge Family Inn

Brooklyn Bedford Academy High School

Bedford Stuyvesant Early Childhood Development Center

Beulah Church of the Nazarene

Brightside Academy

Brooklyn College Early Childhood Center

Brooklyn Community Arts and Media High School

Brooklyn Democracy Academy

Brooklyn Gardens Elementary School

Brooklyn Generation High School

Brooklyn Lab School

Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School

Carribean House Health Center

Casa Montessori

Center Against Domestic Violence

Child Study Center of NY- Brooklyn

Clara Barton High School

Cobble Hill School of American Studies

Cypress Hills Collegiate Preparatory

Elijah Stroud Middle School

Franklin D. Roosevelt High School

Girafas Play & Learn

Hanover Place Child Care

High School for Youth and Community Development at Erasmus

Imagine Early Learning Center- DUMBO

IS 347 School of Humanities

JHS 218 James P. Sinnott

JHS 259 William McKinley School

Kingsborough Community College

Kingsborough Early College School

Medgar Evers College

Montessori Day School of Brooklyn

Mott Hall IV

New York City College of Technology

Our Children's Center

PAL La Puerta Abierta Early Learn Center

PS 105 Blythebourne School

PS 114 Ryder Elementary

PS 119 The Amersfort School

PS 123 Suydam

PS 128 Bensonhurst School

PS 18 - Edward Bush

PS 217 Colonel David Marcus School

PS 250 - George H. Lindsay School

PS 397K Foster-Laurie

PS 94

Region 8 Operations Center

Ronald Edmonds Learning Center II, MS 484

Science, Technology and Research (STAR)

Early College School at Erasmus

Sheepshead Bay High School

St. Francis College

Sumner Children's Center

SUNY Downstate Medical Center

Teens Helping Each Other (THEO) at

SUNY Downstate Medical Center

The Co-Op School- Preschool

The High School for Global Citizenship

United Cerebral Palsy at The Millicent V. Hearst Children's Center

Urban Assembly School for the Urban Environment

William E. Grady Career and Technical Education High School

Williamsburg Preparatory High School

Yeshiva Head Start

Where we were in FY2014...

33

Manhattan Bank Street College of Education Head Start

Baruch College

Birch Family Services-Main Location

Borough of Manhattan Community College

CAT Training Center

Chung Pak Day Care Center

City College of New York

Clinton Family Inn

District 79 Office of Student Support Services

East Harlem Head Start

Frederick Douglass Academy

Frederick Douglass Academy II Secondary School

Harlem Hospital

High School for Health Professionals and Human Services

Hunter College

Institute for Children, Poverty, & Homelessness

Ivy League Early Learning Academy Manhattan

John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Judson Memorial Church

Lucille Lortell Theatre

Macaulay Honors College

Martin Luther King, Jr. High School for Arts and Technology

New Testament Baptist Church

New York City Civic Corps

New York City Department of Education

New York Hilton Hotel Midtown

Northern Manhattan Perinatal Head Start

PS 038 Roberto Clemente

PS 048 PO Michael J. Buczek

PS 123 - The Mahalia Jackson School

PS 314 - Muscota

PS 375 Mosaic Preparatory Academy

PS/IS 187 Hudson Cliffs

Quest to Learn

St. Luke's School

Stella Adler Studio- Outreach

The Chapin School

The Dalton School- First Program

The School at Columbia University

Tompkins Square Middle School

University Settlement Early Childhood Center

Urban Assembly School for the Performing Arts

Urban Assembly School of Design and Construction

West End Day School

Queens August Martin High School

CCS Montessori Center

College Initiative

Energy Tech High School

High School for Construction Trades, Engineering

and Architecture

Hillcrest High School

Horizons Academy- GRVC Rikers

Horizons Academy-GMDC Rikers

Information Technology High School

IS 230 Magnet School for Civics in the Community

IS 5 Walter Crowley Intermediate School

Island Academy - Eric M. Taylor Center

Island Academy - Rose M. Singer High School

Jackson Developmental Center

JHS 226 Virgil I. Grissom

LaGuardia Community College

NYL Forest Hills West School

Pee Wee Folks Preschool

PS 022 Thomas Jefferson

PS 040 The Samuel Huntington School

PS 052Q

PS 054 Hillside

PS 084Q

PS 111

PS 117 Keld/Briarwood School

PS 127 Aerospace and Science Academy

PS 134 Hollis-The Langston Hughes School

PS 163

PS 182 - Samantha Smith

PS 206 - The Horace Harding School

PS 212

PS 220

PS 224

PS 234

PS 244Q- The Active Learning Elementary School

PS 51

Queens College

Queens Collegiate: A College Board School

Queens Engagement Strategies for Teens

Queens School of Inquiry

Queensborough Community College

Saratoga Family Inn

Small Wonder Pre-School

St. Stanislaus School

Waterside Children's Studio School

YAI NYL Clearview Annex

YAI NYL Clearview School

York College

York Early College Academy

Young Women's Leadership School of Queens

Staten Island College of Staten Island

Port Richmond High School

Tottenville High School

Other Board of Education- Elizabeth Public Schools (NJ)

Franklin High School (NJ)

Ithaca City School District (NYS)

King Low Heywood Thomas Private School (CT)

Minneapolis Convention Center (MN)

Newark Preschool Council (NJ)

Omaha Community Playhouse (NE)

University of Nebraska at Omaha (NE)

34

35

Additional Support for

CAT FY14 Programs Provided By:

Alicia Keys Empowered Community Grants – AIDS United

Birch Family Services

Berkowitz Family Foundation

City University of New York

Community Service Society of New York

Fund for Public Schools

Homes for the Homeless

Jewish Communal Fund

The Lucille Lortel Foundation

Marion E. Kenworthy – Sarah H. Swift Foundation

New York Community Trust: Astor Fund for NYC Education

Penguin Books

NYC Department of Correction

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

NYC Department of Education

NYC Department of Youth & Community Development

New York City Council Citywide Initiative: Speaker Christine Quinn

and 51 Council Members Discretionary & CASA grants: Gale Brewer, Fernando Cabrera,

Leroy Comrie, Inez Dickens, Mathieu Eugene, Helen Foster, Daniel Garodnick, James Gennaro, Robert Jackson, Andy King, Karen Koslowitz, Donovan Richards, Joel Rivera, Paul Vallone,

Jumaane Williams, Ruben Wills

NYS Assembly Assembly Members Michael DenDekker, Aravella Simotas,

Catherine Nolan

NYS Council on the Arts

NYS Department of Health: AIDS Institute

NYS Education Department

Participating Schools

and many generous individuals

14,155 young New Yorkers, teachers and

Parents benefitted from CAT programs in every New York City

Council District in FY2014.

The partnerships CAT has developed with the

public and private sector have enabled CAT to

reach young people and their families in all five

boroughs. You are an essential partner in CAT’s

innovative, critically important educational

outreach, helping us provide interactive, issue-

based programs that:

Strengthen academic achievement;

Support youth development and

social-emotional growth; and

Increase resiliency in NYC’s young

people.

On behalf of the students, teachers, parents

and Creative Arts Team members involved in

our programs, we offer our sincere appreciation

for your ongoing support. We are pleased with

this successful year of service and look forward

to expanding our efforts in FY2015.

Thank you for your collective commitment to

supporting the needs of young New Yorkers.

Thanks To You…

CREATIVE ARTS TEAM THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

101 W. 31ST STREET, 6TH FLOOR

NEW YORK, NY 10001

P: 212.652.2800 F: 212.652.2809

WWW.CREATIVEARTSTEAM.ORG