Arts for Learning

Name

Arts for Learning

Legal name

Arts for Learning Connecticut

Website

https://aflct.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Charter Arts & Performing Arts Schools (EDAJACAH), Arts-Focused Private K–12 Schools (EDAJABAN)

Keywords

• Arts education programs
• Teaching artist residencies
• School arts integration
• After-school arts programs
• Professional development for educators

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Fee-for-Service Programs: Schools and organizations pay for AFLCT's programs including performances, workshops, residencies, and professional development. Pricing is per session (e.g., $257 for 1-hour Let's Play sessions).
2. Grant Funding: AFLCT receives significant grant funding from foundations including Connecticut Office of the Arts, American Savings Foundation, Scripps Family Fund, Honda USA Foundation, M&T Charitable Foundation, and many others. Grants support HOT Schools, specific programs, and general operations.
3. Individual and Corporate Donations: The organization accepts tax-deductible contributions from individuals and corporations. They offer monthly giving programs, planned giving (Legacy Circle), and donor-advised fund giving options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arts for Learning Connecticut delivers arts-in-education programming through a roster of 85+ professional Teaching Artists who provide Performances, Workshops, Residencies, and Professional Development to K-12 schools, community organizations, and libraries across Connecticut. The portfolio is anchored by the Higher Order Thinking (HOT) Schools whole-school transformation model and supplemented by after-school programs (Let's Play, Express Yourself), the Family Arts Festival, the EMERGE Teaching Artist training program, the RAISE initiative, and the Breaking Free kinesthetic program for students with disabilities.

Product overview

Arts for Learning Connecticut is a nonprofit arts education organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on bringing professional Teaching Artists into schools and communities. The core offering includes the Higher Order Thinking (HOT) Schools whole-school transformation model, Let's Play Afterschool Program, Express Yourself afterschool initiative, and the Family Arts Festival community event. Supporting programs include the EMERGE Teaching Artist training program and the RAISE initiative (in partnership with Young Audiences). All programming operates through four service types: Performances, Arts Workshops, Residencies, and Professional Development, supported by the organization's Arts Learning Framework methodology. The organization maintains a roster of over 70 teaching artists and serves over 65,000 students annually across Connecticut.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Higher Order Thinking (HOT) Schools A whole-school, deep-impact arts integration program that enriches school culture, improves student engagement, and expands teacher practice. Grounded in Social Emotional Learning, Culturally Responsive Teaching, and Multiple Intelligences Theory, HOT Schools provides Professional Development, Arts-Integrated Residencies, Arts Workshops, and Schoolwide Performances in K-12 schools.
• Let's Play Afterschool Program Afterschool arts program bringing creativity, learning, and fun through the arts led by professional Teaching Artists. Features flexible scheduling (1-5 days/week), Teaching Artist rotation with varied disciplines, adaptable workshops, academic support, and SEL integration.
• Express Yourself Afterschool arts learning program expanding creative, inspiring, and culturally enriching educational opportunities. Serves students through hands-on instruction led by professional Teaching Artists exploring multiple art forms including visual arts, storytelling, spoken word, and dance.
• Family Arts Festival A free, all-ages community arts celebration featuring live performances and hands-on workshops led by professional Teaching Artists. Designed for families to create, move, listen, and learn together.
• EMERGE Training and mentorship program for emerging Teaching Artists that advances arts in education by promoting collaboration between classroom teachers and Teaching Artists. Provides formal workshops, mentorship, opportunities to write and teach original lesson plans, and actionable feedback.
• RAISE (Responsive Arts in School Education) A five-year initiative operated in partnership with Young Audiences, creating a transformative model that fosters collaboration between teaching artists and school support teams to develop comprehensive, tailored, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive arts education residencies. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Breaking Free: Kinesthetic and Sensory Learning Through the Arts Arts-integrated learning experiences designed for students with visual impairments and other disabilities, employing kinesthetic, multisensory arts experiences to increase engagement and strengthen communication skills.
• Performances Artistic presentations, often in assembly or large-group settings, featuring interactive components with professional Teaching Artists.
• Arts Workshops Individual creative classes or experiences with significant teaching artist–student interaction, often in smaller-group settings.
• Residencies Extended arts learning series in which the same students work with the same teaching artist(s) over multiple sessions.
• Professional Development Trainings for teachers in arts learning strategies to integrate arts into classroom curriculum.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65,000+ students served annually
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Connecticut Office of the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019COA established HOT Schools in 1994 and in 2019 partnered with AFLCT leadership to evolve the program, leading to HOT Schools becoming a core program of AFLCT. COA provides ongoing funding and support.
• Young Audiences Arts for LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network affiliation established in 1979 (originally as affiliate of Young Audiences). The network comprises local affiliated nonprofits that collectively impact over 5 million young people each year. National YA works collaboratively to advance arts in education through advocacy, communications, fundraising, program development, and professional learning support.
• PERG Learning (Elizabeth Osche)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for evaluation of HOT Schools impact. Elizabeth Osche of PERG Learning conducts program evaluation, including impact reports for 2024-25 school year and developmental evaluation report for 2021-22.
• Young Audiences (National)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAISE (Responsive Arts in School Education) is operated in partnership with Young Audiences national office. RAISE is a five-year initiative funded by U.S. Department of Education ($9.2 million grant) to create trauma-informed, culturally responsive arts education residencies.
• Concord Magnet SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHOT Schools partner since 2022. School in Norwalk, CT receiving whole-school arts integration.
• Kingsbury Elementary SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHOT Schools partner since 2021 in Waterbury, CT. Partner for Express Yourself afterschool program.
• Regional Multicultural Magnet SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHOT Schools partner since 2022 in New London. Serves approximately 580 students with 70%+ on free/reduced price meals.
• Oak Hill (Connecticut Institute for the Blind)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Breaking Free kinesthetic arts integration program serving students with visual impairments and other disabilities.
• Whitney AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Breaking Free program serving students with disabilities.
• ACES Center for Autism Spectrum and Developmental DisorderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Breaking Free program serving students with autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities.
• Connecticut Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind (BESB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Breaking Free program serving students who are blind or have visual impairments.
• Conte West HillscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAISE program partner school in New Haven, CT for Years 2 & 3 of the initiative.
• Rotella Magnet SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAISE program partner school in Waterbury, CT for Years 2 & 3 of the initiative.
• Quinnipiac UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFLCT Education Manager Alex Novak Foster teaches the course 'Facilitating the Arts in the Academic Classroom' to graduate and undergraduate program students at Quinnipiac University's School of Education.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute: Carnegie Hall's education and social impact arm offering K-12 music education, teacher training, and school partnerships. A larger incumbent with overlapping professional development and school-based arts programming, though more focused on music.
• Kennedy Center Education: National performing arts center's education division, providing K-12 arts programming, teacher PD, and school residencies. Operates at a much larger scale with national scope, but serves comparable functions in arts integration and school partnerships.
• Lincoln Center Education: The education arm of Lincoln Center, offering K-12 arts integration, professional development, and school partnerships. A larger, well-funded organization with broader portfolio reach (multiple art forms, major institutional backing) that overlaps with AFLCT's whole-school arts integration mission.

Emerging players

• VSA (a Kennedy Center program): National network providing arts programming for people with disabilities. Directly comparable to AFLCT's Breaking Free program in its focus on adaptive arts education for students with disabilities, though broader in geographic and disability scope.

Direct peers

• Arts for Learning Northwest: Pacific Northwest-based arts education organization serving K-12 schools with teaching artist programming. AFLCT's Director of Operations joined from this organization in 2023, indicating operational and programmatic alignment with AFLCT's model.
• Young Audiences New York: Another Young Audiences affiliate serving NYC schools with teaching artist residencies, performances, and professional development. Operates the same affiliate model as AFLCT, with comparable program categories (residencies, workshops, PD) and customer base (K-12 schools and community organizations).
• Marquis Studios: NYC-based nonprofit providing arts-in-education residencies, workshops, and professional development to K-12 schools. Directly comparable in service mix (residencies, workshops, PD) and customer type (K-12 schools and community organizations) to AFLCT.
• Young Audiences of Houston: Texas-based Young Audiences affiliate delivering arts in education programming to K-12 schools through teaching artist residencies, workshops, and community programs. Functions as a direct network peer to AFLCT within the same national affiliation.
• Young Audiences of Maryland: A fellow Young Audiences affiliate delivering teaching artist programs to Maryland K-12 schools, with a similar roster-of-artists and fee-for-service + grant funding model. AFLCT's Director of Operations previously worked at Arts for Learning Northwest, an affiliated org, indicating direct network peer relationships.

Others

• Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts: Adjacent arts-education nonprofit offering residencies, workshops, and community programs. Thematically related as a teaching-artist-driven education organization, though focused specifically on ceramics rather than multi-disciplinary arts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmuBAfZF8Zx5c6SENyNEM0Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/afl.ct
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/young-audiences-of-connecticut-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arts for Learning