Hartford Stage Receives 2014 EIFLE Award for Children's Education Program of the Year

Hartford Stage has been awarded the 2014 Excellence In Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Award for Children's Education Program of the Year by the Institute for Financial Literacy. The award was given for the Hartford Stage Financial Literacy Program, an adaptation of a Wells Fargo program, which uses theatre techniques to teach the basics of banking and money management. The EIFLE Awards acknowledge innovation, dedication and the commitment of individuals and organizations that support financial literacy education worldwide.

Hartford Stage Managing Director Mike Stotts said, "Theatre and financial literacy might seem like an unlikely pair, but theatre allows students to gain knowledge in an on-their-feet, active way. It allows students to explore choices in scenes that they may very well encounter in their own lives. We have witnessed students think about money in new ways, considering its value and their own agency in establishing personal financial goals."

In 2011, Wells Fargo approached Hartford Stage's education department to adapt their Hands on Banking curriculum. What the education department created is a five-day residency program for sixth grade students, taught by Hartford Stage's professional teaching artists, that addresses the money cycle, income vs. expense, wants vs. needs, long term & short term goals, and earning power through the use of theater techniques such as tableau (frozen images), dialogue, and improvisation. The program has already reached over 250 students in the Hartford Public School District and has secured funding for the next school year.

Reaching about 20,000 students annually, Hartford Stage is the leading provider of theatre education programs in Connecticut. Education offerings include student matinees, in-school theatre residencies, teen performance opportunities, theatre classes for students (ages 3-18) and adults, afterschool programs and professional development courses.