Exploring the Arts

Founded by Tony Bennett and Susan Benedetto in 1999, Exploring the Arts’ (ETA) vision is for all young people to experience the transformative power of the arts. In realizing this vision, our mission is to increase equitable access to arts education in historically under-served schools.

We work in partnership with public middle and high schools to provide:

• School-based programs to help principals and teachers develop sustainable arts programs and better leverage the arts to strengthen student learning and engagement.
• Direct out-of-school student programming to nurture youth development through arts training, college and career preparedness, and social-emotional skill building.

ETA intentionally seeks out school communities in both cities where there is an opportunity to support growth in their arts offerings, and where there is vision and commitment to the arts even in the face of historic under-resourcing. Student programs forge college and career pathways for youth who have traditionally faced structural barriers to opportunities in the arts.

Using a holistic approach, ETA aims to help schools attain their vision for sustainable, rigorous, and sequential in-school arts programs while offering critical out-of-school-time arts opportunities for select students that build their social emotional competencies through the arts. Through the entry-point program, our 4-Year Plan, ETA staff coaches school leadership to create an individualized road map to build, refine or enhance their arts programs. Students at each Partner High School are eligible to apply for the Arts Internship Program, providing 1:1 mentorship opportunities in all art forms and, in New York City, the Lang Arts Scholars Program, which provides three years of arts training, college preparedness, and career readiness to talented students who demonstrate need. ETA is the local program partner of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Turnaround Arts initiative. Through this partnership, TA: NYC, ETA works with four Bronx middle schools to strengthen music programs, establish sustainable arts integration initiatives, and build a viable pipeline to arts-focused high schools throughout the City, with special focus on neighboring ETA Partner High Schools.