SCHOOL PROGRAMS 

OPEN DOOR ARTS SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Our School Program partners teaching artists and classroom teachers to develop career-connected arts learning experiences that support students with disabilities to learn artistic skills while promoting identity exploration and transition-readiness.

CAREER CREATE

The Open Door Arts CareerCREATE program offers high school and transition-aged students with disabilities engaging and accessible opportunities to develop artistic skills and explore career pathways in the arts!

program components

Black icon of an apple on a white background

Weekly hour long arts instruction for 32 weeks 

a black and white icon image of two hands shaking

In-class visits  from guests artists and cultural workers with disabilities 

a black and white icon image of a building with columns

A field trip to a local cultural organization that features behind the scenes tours and conversations with cultural staff 

a black and white icon image of a lightbulb and gear

A mini Internship to apply learning and skills 

a photo of a wall with student- made colorful masks hanging on it
Artwork by CareerCREATE students at the Community Academy of Science and Health

PROGRAM GOALS

The CareerCREATE program supports students with disabilities to develop:

  • Connection- Knowing oneself better in order to build relationships with class, program, school, and cultural communities.
  • Representation- Seeing oneself reflected in artists and cultural workers with disabilities in order to understand identity as multi-faceted, inclusive of disability
  • Expression- Developing comfort in using one's unique voice in order to share who they are
  • Artistry- Building confidence in one's creative practice in order to express one's thoughts and ideas
  • Transition Readiness- Practicing transferable life skills like communication, self-awareness, and self-advocacy in order to apply them in pre-vocational settings
  • Employability- Exploring career pathways in creative fields in order to identify how one's skills and interests might be applied in future employment
Kennedy Center Access/VSA program site 2024-2025 acknowledgement logo

OUR schools

photo of a student with light brown skin a black natural hair pulled up smiling at piece of art work featuring a red clay face that she holds in her hands

Boston Green Academy (Boston)
Visual Arts
9th - 12th grade

a photo of the back of students heads in red theater chairs facing an empty stage set with a table and chairs

Brighton High School (Boston)
Drama
9th - 12th grade

a photo of students sitting in white folding chairs in a circle featuring a speaker, Keith Jones, a black man using a motorized wheel chair

Chelsea High School (Chelsea)
Drama
9th - 12th grade

Person's hands composing a collage of felt shapes. Many more colorful felt shapes can be seen in the background.

Comm. Acad. of Science & Health (Boston)
Visual Arts 
9th-12th grade

a group of students stand in a circle in a back stage area of a theater

Fenway High School (Boston)
Drama
9th -12th grade

a group of students sit in a circle facing speaker, Keith Jones, a black man using a motorized wheelchair, smiling in front of several hanging guitars

Henderson K-12  (Boston)
Music 
9th -12th grade

a group of students sit on tables and chairs facing speaker, Mehdi Raoufi in front of a smart board featuring music content

New Mission High (Boston)
Music
9th - 12th Grade

 

a photo featuring hands holding two paint rollers, one rolling blue paint onto a print

South High School (Worcester)
Visual Arts
9th-12th Grade

OUR TEACHING ARTISTS

a head shot of Stephanie Charlton, a white woman with fair skin and long brown hair smiling at the camera

Stephanie Charlton

Drama

a photo of Silvina Mizrahi, a light skinned latina woman with dark hair pulled back, holding a piece of artwork and gazing at it

Silvina mizrahi

Visual Arts

a photo of Sadye Bobbette a white woman with brown hair pulled back under a read bandana on profile with a soft smile

Sayde bobbette

Music

a headshot of Mehdi Raoufi a male with dark curly hair a moustache and goatee wearing dark rimmed glasses and smiling

Mehdi Raoufi

Music

a photo of Megan Bent - a white woman with fair skin and shoulder length brown hair with bangs, turned slightly on an angle and smiling

megan bent

Visual Arts

WHAT OUR PARTNERS SAY ABOUT CAREER CREATE

Teacher at Brighton High School

“The connection to community and career readiness and exploration have been rewarding to both students, staff and our school culture.”

Teacher at Community Academy of Science and Health

Teacher at Boston Green Academy

“They created art pieces and were able to sell them at the BPS central office building. This showed my students how they can use their artwork to make a living potentially and it also connected back to what they learned from our guest speaker."

Teacher at Boston Green Academy

Teacher at Brighton High School

“Open Door Arts gave the students a chance to open up and share their thoughts freely. They used this newly found courage in other areas of their education and interaction with their peers. They also learned new concepts and I strongly encourage that we have it again.”

Teacher at Brighton High School

want TO BRING CAREER CREATE TO your school?

We would love to connect and learn more about your students and how Career CREATE can support their artists, social/emotional, and career readiness development!  Please email to connect with us.

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