The Charleston Gaillard Center’s Education and Community Program offers free resources to teachers, students, and the Lowcountry community.
Our Director of Education, Sterling deVries, M.Ed., and our Education Manager, Stephanie Lancaster, create lesson plans purposefully and carefully to correlate with the South Carolina Department of Education Standards, highlighting arts-enhanced curriculum. The Gaillard Center also works with community partners to share educational resources with the Lowcountry. We have activities and resources for ALL ages.
ART
(For all ages)
Check out our Art with Miss Stephanie art video series! In these workshops, students will use various mediums such as clay, acrylic paint, watercolors, paper mache, and more to create artwork of their own. See More…
DANCE
Dance.Laugh.Learn (Early childhood)
Funding for this program provided in part by The Patrick Family Foundation. See More…
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
HipKidz PW: DLLHipKidz
YoBa PW: DLLYoBa
Dance Conservatory of Charleston
Learn more about choreography, ballet, tap, and more with Dance Conservatory of Charleston‘s video workshops featuring Ms. Lily Watkins. See More…
Ms. Watkins is a graduate of Beloit College with a BA in Creative Writing and was the 2012 recipient of the Chavey Family Endowed Award in Dance for outstanding contributions to the dance program. In addition to her dance training at The School of American Ballet and Beloit College, Ms. Watkins has attended summer programs with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Miami City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Orlando Ballet and BalletMet Columbus. She has been teaching and choreographing in Charleston since 2014.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
Magic Treehouse: Showtime with Shakespeare (1st Grade +)
A new theatrical production based on the Magic Tree House adventure Stage Fright on a Summer Night by The New York Times best-selling author Mary Pope Osborne.
No matter what the show must go on! That’s what Jack and Annie learn when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to Elizabethan England. There, the daring sibling duo meets William Shakespeare himself—one of the greatest writers of all time! Based on the critically-acclaimed book series by Mary Pope Osborne, this tuneful tale is a hip-hop hit with kids and grown-ups alike.
Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House series has been translated into 33 languages, has sold more than 135 million copies worldwide and is the No. 1 best-selling chapter book series of all time.
Produced by NJPAC in association with George Street Playhouse. Book and Lyrics by Jenny Laird and Will Osborne. Music and Additional Lyrics by Randy Courts. Based on “Magic Tree House: Stage Fright on a Summer Night” by Mary Pope Osborne
Miss Nelson has a Field Day (Kindergarten – 5th Grade)
Return to Horace B. Smedley School where the Smedley Tornadoes have never won a football game. In fact, they have never even scored a single point! With such a poor record and a team that is out of control, kind-hearted Miss Nelson comes to the rescue when she enlists the help of her alter ego, the ill-tempered Miss Viola Swamp, to coach the team and whip them into shape.
Considered by all to be “the meanest substitute teacher in the whole world,” Coach Swamp applies her trademark discipline to the players’ training, demanding tough exercises and no back talk. In the end, the team changes their attitude, pulls together, sharpens their skills, and manages to win the biggest game of the year.
A fun-filled musical from the award-winning playwright/composer who brought you DIARY OF A WORM, A SPIDER & A FLY.
Book, Music & Lyrics by Joan Cushing. Based upon the book MISS NELSON HAS A FIELD DAY by Harry Allard and James Marshall Text copyright © 1985 by Harry Allard. Performed by arrangement with Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company. All rights reserved. By special arrangements with Houghton Mifflin Company and Gurman Agency LLC. Produced by Dallas Children’s Theater from Dallas, Texas
The Snowy Day (CD – 3rd Grade)
Based on the books by Ezra Jack Keats
Adapted by Jerome Hairston
Produced by Childsplay
From Tempe, Arizona
Follow Peter and his friends through winter, spring, summer and fall as they romp and play, start snow ball fights and make snow angels, journey in space and under the sea, and more, all in this imaginative musical play. Using innovative shadow puppetry, THE SNOWY DAY celebrates the magic and boundless possibilities of childhood and the challenges of growing up.
Keats’ treasured characters come to life in this humorous and fun adaptation of the collected stories: “Whistle for Willie”, “Goggles!”, “A Letter to Amy”, and “The Snowy Day.” A classic since its publication in 1962 and winner of the Caldecott Medal, “The Snowy Day” was one of the first picture books for young people to feature an African American protagonist and is still beloved today.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (CD – 3rd Grade)
Based on the Pigeon books by Mo Willems. Script by Mo Willems and Tom Warburton. Lyrics by Mo Willems. Music by Deborah Wicks La Puma. Directed by Jerry Whiddon. The Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences on Tour is represented by Shaw Entertainment Group, LLC.
Whatever you do, don’t let The Pigeon star in his own musical production! Because it’s not easy being The Pigeon– you never get to do ANYTHING! But when the Bus Driver has a crisis that threatens to make her passengers (gasp!) late, maybe that wily bird CAN do something. Starring an innovative mix of actors, puppets, songs, and feathers, Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus! (The Musical) is sure to get everyone’s wings flapping. With a script written by Mo Willems, the creator of the #1 New York Times best-selling, Caldecott-honor award winning Pigeon picture books, along with longtime collaborator and Disney Jr’s Muppet Babies executive producer, Mr. Warburton, and featuring music by Deborah Wicks La Puma, the composer behind Elephant & Piggie’s We Are In A Play! and Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience, this comedic musical production is even more fun than staying up late and having a hot dog party!
GUIDANCE
Just Be You Performance (Middle school – High School)
Just Be You is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to build teens confidence through self-compassion. Through workshops, school assemblies and motivational speakers, Just Be You focuses on the daily challenges of life as a modern teen, offering them coping skills to become more resilient and confident in their individuality. The Just Be You team encourages and celebrates all levels of what it means to be bold, be brilliant, and just be you.
Just Be You Workshops (Middle school – High School)
Journaling with Just Be You
When we journal we allow our brain to process what emotions we are feeling in the moment.
Typical journaling involves only writing—but for those who are more visually inclined, try art journaling! Just grab any art supplies you have and let your mind flow. It is all about expressing yourself and finding what works best for you. Get creative, let those emotions out, and just be YOU!
“I AM” Inspiration Collage
Start by collecting old magazines, gathering up your art supplies and thinking hard about who you are and who you want to be. Cut out pictures and images that represent characteristics and traits that can be used to describe you. Make sure you are not just focusing on the present you, make some of these words and images aspirational! Write “I AM” and get to work collaging. By creating a visual representation of your goals, you’re building a mental roadmap to reach your best self!
Positive Self-Talk
In the lesson, Karli explores one of the pillars of self-compassion: positive self-talk! Positive self-talk can help reduce stress, increase motivation, and improve overall mental and physical health.
Check out the power of our own words with the rice experiment below. We hope you will share your findings on social media using #justbeyou or tag @justbeyou_org and start putting your positive self-talk to practice!
MUSIC
Jazz Through the Ages with Charlton Singleton Performance (All ages)
From its creation, and still to this day, Jazz continues to evolve. It has produced timeless classics and some of the most famous musicians of all time. On October 1, 2019, join Gaillard Center Artist-in-Residence Emeritus, Charlton Singleton, along with his group of some of the most sought after musicians, as they take us through all of the unique styles of Jazz via explanation and musical performances
Jazz Video Workshops (All ages)
History of Jazz
Jazz and Music in South Carolina
Harlem Renaissance and the Jazz Connection
Education and Life as a Musician
Prints in Clay, Still We Rise! A Spirituals Celebration (All ages)
Prints in Clay is a multimedia, educational exploration into the many significant contributions of African Americans to the history and culture of the community. You can watch the full concert and view the photo exhibit in the videos below.
Ranky Tanky (2nd Grade+)
RANKY TANKY released their eponymous debut on Oct. 20th, 2017. By December of that year, the group had been been profiled on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and their album soared to the #1 position on the Billboard, I-Tunes, and Amazon Jazz Charts.
“Gullah” comes from West African language and means “a people blessed by God.” “Ranky Tanky” translates loosely as “Work It,” or “Get Funky!” In this spirit this Charleston, SC based quintet performs timeless music of Gullah culture born in the southeastern Sea Island region of the United States. From playful game songs to ecstatic shouts, from heartbreaking spirituals to delicate lullabies, the musical roots of Charleston, SC are “rank” and fertile ground from which these contemporary artists are grateful to have grown.
POETRY
Poetic Hip-Hop: From the Page to the Stage (3rd Grade+)
Charleston, SC poet laureate and Gaillard Center Artist-in-Residence, Marcus Amaker will emphasize the power of the written word, while educating students on the importance of voice.
Poetic Workshops (3rd Grade+)
Learn about self-portrait, alliteration, and visual poetry with our Artist-In-Residence and SC Poet Laureate Marcus Amaker.
SOCIAL IMPACT
Stronger Together (Grades 1-4)
Stronger Together – A collective, creative response to Asian American hate by Honolulu Theatre for Youth
Our world is filled with humans being treated unjustly due to differences. We see it in our schools and speak to our students regularly about being kind and “filling one another’s buckets”. The lesson below is one that will help start some of those difficult classroom conversations and hopefully assist you in finding the right words with a focus on educating our students about Asian American hate. Students will be able to gain a better understanding of Asian American hate, equality, acceptance for all, and steps to be an active bystander when others are treated unjustly. This lesson is for grades 1-4.
THEATER
Theater Teacher with Teralyn Reiter (Ages 8-12)
Theatre Teacher with Teralyn Reiter
Teralyn earned her MFA-Acting from the University of Montana. Teralyn’s passion for theatre education began with Missoula Children’s Theatre, where she and a tour partner traveled for four years throughout the United States and Europe teaching and performing full-scale musicals to children ages 5-18 each week. Since then, she’s worked with a variety of theatres including the American Conservatory Theatre and the Montana Repertory Theatre where she brought professional theatre and theatre education to schools and reservations. She worked for 15 months in Daegu, South Korea, where she developed and implemented a theatre program that teaches English in a fun, unconventional way to students ages 8-12. She continues growing as an educator and performer while working with East Cooper Montessori Charter School and performing on stages throughout Charleston. Her work in Charleston has earned the Charleston Theatre Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play for her work in Shirley Valentine at Midtown Productions. As a Teaching Artist, Teralyn received a National Artist Fellowship from the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts.
Programs
2022 – 2023 Performances
2022 – 2023 Classes and Workshops
Summer Camps
About Our Education and Community Program
Our Impact
Our Supporters
Our Educators
Accessibility and Sensory Inclusion
