Horizons series to celebrate a milestone with its 500,000th student

December 8, 2008

Exposing a child to the arts is an important aspect in their education, and on Dec. 9, the Young Auditorium at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will celebrate a milestone in its 15 years of operation when the Horizons Matinee Series welcomes its 500,000th student to the performance of “If you Give a Pig a Pancake.”            

“Teachers who incorporate the arts into their everyday curriculum are truly making learning accessible for all students by encouraging them to become creative problem solvers and thinkers,” Coordinator of Education and Outreach Shannon Dozoryst said. “Students with high arts involvement watch fewer hours of TV, participate in more community service and report less boredom in school.”

Children from all over the area are impacted by the series. “I have always found the Horizons productions to be well done, engaging and age appropriate,” Jim Athas, first grade teacher at Luther Elementary School in Fort Atkinson, said. “They help my first graders deepen their understanding of cooperation and teamwork involved in producing a show.”

With arts programs being cut across the country, the Horizons series provides students with valuable interaction with the arts. “We are very privileged to have a facility so nearby such as the Young Auditorium which offers the Horizons Matinee Series,” Kindergarten Teacher Patty Snyder at Barrie Elementary School in Fort Atkinson said. “This allows children access to high quality performances in a high quality venue that few would otherwise experience.”

Without the Young Auditorium, there would be no opportunity for children in the area to experience theater. “The auditorium is a community gem,” Snyder said. “And the Horizons series helps it shine.”

The 500,000th student will come from St. Francis de Sales school in Lake Geneva. A pizza party will be held for the 54 children in kindergarten through second grade and 15 community supporters who were integral in the start of the Horizons Series.