This is Who We Are
VSA Massachusetts promotes the involvement of people of all abilities in the cultural life of our communities and develops multi-sensory arts-based teaching strategies in our schools, opening new windows onto the general curriculum for all students. VSAM is a leader in an international network founded in 1974 by Jean Kennedy Smith and affiliated with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
News
- VSA Massachusetts and 3 other state affiliates recently proposed an innovative idea for funding at the US Department Of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement. The VSA Arts-Integrated Learning Initiative that we have proposed will provide professional development, assistance in the classroom from teaching artists, and other supports for using the arts to promote learning by all students in inclusive schools. The project is now posted on the DOE's Innovation Portal and if you think the idea is a good one, please create an account on the US DOE's website, log in, and find the initiative by searching for it using the whole title or just searching for "VSA". Once you're in look at the listing and learn about our plan, make a comment, and ask others to do the same. Please help support our idea!
- Ablevision visited the Boston Children's Museum 6/10/2010 to explore VSA's "All Kids Can Festival," an exhibit dedicated to disability awareness. Ablevision members explored the exhibit, interviewed museum-goers and our Executive Director Charlie Washburn.
- The Highland Street Foundation is underwriting free admission to different museums, zoos, and cultural attractions every Friday through 9/4/2010. No Registration is Required! Visit Highland Street's "Free Fun Fridays" web page for more details. For access information, please check with the venues in advance.
- Emerson College put together a website called Survive and Thrive Boston which includes a section about going Beyond Barriers. "There are no disabled people, but people with different abilities." Please explore the site's many articles and videos including this one of VSA's Cultural Access Director Bonnie Kaplan.
Upcoming Events
Cultural Access Programs
- Free tickets to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and Museum of Science.
Education Programs
- With our school partners, we create opportunities for students with and without disabilities, together, to engage in learning across the curriculum through the arts.
