Rosie's For All Kids Foundation provides general operating and capital support to Rosie's Broadway Kids (RBKids), which serves New York City public-school students from low-income families with in-depth exposure to musical theater in the heart of the city where Broadway was born. Young people take part in rigorous instruction in music and dance and see first-hand how performers and technical personnel work together to create this distinctly American art form—the Broadway musical. RBKids began its programming in one school in 2003 and has expanded steadily in response to requests from teachers and principals. RBKids now serves more than 1,700 students at 22 schools.
RBKids provides three distinct programs:
- PS Broadway is a 15-week in-school program for 5th graders, who receive weekly one-hour classes in dance, music and voice taught by professional teaching artists. Students also enjoy a visit and private concert from a guest Broadway performer and attend a Broadway musical. The end-of- the-program performance allows the students to experience the spotlight and show their parents, teachers and schoolmates what they have learned.
- ACTE II (A Commitment to Excellence) is an intensive training program for outstanding graduates of PS Broadway. Students participate in a full year of training, including after-school and summer classes in ballet, tap, jazz, voice, drama and general musical theater. Additionally, actors, singers and dancers from the Broadway community regularly conduct master classes and perform for students. Participants also receive academic tutoring and audition preparation for performing arts high schools and universities in RBKids’ newest program, A+ (Arts Plus). With coaching from RBKids staff, 100% of ACTE II kids who auditioned for performing arts high schools were accepted.
- Spotlight on Fitness reaches all grades in an elementary school with no physical education staff or suitable gymnasium. It will provide a sequential curriculum in dance, music and physical education to inspire students to achieve and maintain physical fitness and make it possible for the school to fulfill local and state curriculum requirements in arts and physical education.
This fall, RBKids will move into the newly-constructed Maravel Arts Center, named for Rosie O’Donnell ’s teacher, Pat Maravel, who was an inspirational force in Rosie’s formative years. Funded primarily by Rosie’s For All Kids Foundation, this new permanent headquarters of RBKids features state-of-the-art music and dance studios to enable RBKids to serve and enrich its expanding ACTE II and the Spotlight on Fitness programs.
Help us build dreams for kids - take advantage of the naming opportunities at the Maravel Arts Center or make an online donation today!
