Focus Area: Early Childhood

Grant Amount: $8,000

Located in south Minneapolis. CTC is the nation’s largest and most acclaimed theatre for young people and serving nearly 275,000 attendees annually. CTC’s engagement and learning programs annually serve more than 85,000 young people and their communities through Theatre Arts Training, student matinees, Neighborhood Bridges, and early childhood arts education programs.

Grant supports CTC’s Creative Play program at the Rainbow Child Development Center in St. Paul, supporting 47 young children. The program focuses on children ages 0-5 through a trauma-informed theater arts approach focused on social-emotional development. It uses a two-generation approach, working with both teachers and parents as well as young children. The collaboration with Rainbow will provide a 30-week Creative Play residency for 1 infant, 1 toddler, and 2 preschool classrooms, from November 2025 to May 2026. CTC will also provide professional development for Rainbow staff and teachers, a family night event, and complimentary theater tickets for participating families.