THE CHICAGO HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS (CHIARTS) STARTS THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR

 

THE CHICAGO HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS (CHIARTS) STARTS THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR

CHICAGO – Chicago's first and only pre-professional public arts high school, The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts), located at 2714 W Augusta Blvd., welcomes a new school year with major leadership announcement, admissions applications for prospective students, and “Backstage Pass” immersive open house experiences. ChiArts celebrates the start of a new school year with a diverse and energetic team of leaders heading up the academic, arts, and administrative staff. This summer, the school’s new Principal, Pavielle Driver, joined the team, along with Artistic Director Tina Boyer Brown being promoted to Executive Director and Dance Department Head Greer Reed stepping into the Artistic Director role. Also recently appointed: Assistant Principal Kanika Glover, Dean of Students Hedgar Giron, and ChiArts veteran educator Tracey Franklin promoted to Dance Department Head.

ChiArts’ dynamic administrative staff and all five conservatory heads invite interested 8th-grade students and their families to the open house “Backstage Pass” events. These immersive Open Houses will give students, parents, and guardians a "Backstage Pass" to check out the campus, meet with department heads and teachers from different conservatories, learn about the admissions process, see student performances, learn how to successfully audition, and ask any questions they may have. Every Open House will also include an academic and admissions informational session for families to learn about courses and how to apply.

Music & Creative Writing Open House will take place on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Visual Arts will be on Wednesday, October 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Dance and Theatre will be Wednesday, November 1 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Due to the high volume of demand, ChiArts asks that each student bring no more than two guests to ensure that as many students and their families get an opportunity to attend.

Applications for enrollment at ChiArts are now open, and students can apply via GoCPS at www.cps.edu/GoCPS until November 9, 2023. The GoCPS application will provide each applicant with a sign-up for an audition slot and the option to audition in person or virtually. More information on applying can be found on ChiArts’ website here. With equity central to ChiArts’ mission, the school continues its unique model of admitting novice students and encourages those with no training in the arts but who demonstrate a strong natural ability and a desire for learning to apply.

Each year, more than 65% of students accepted to ChiArts are novices. As Chicago’s first and only public high school offering pre-professional arts training, the school seeks to remove tuition and other barriers for Chicago’s youth and create a space for them to develop their talent, hone their skills, and thrive as creators, thinkers, and community members. At ChiArts, students can study in one of five disciplines: music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and creative writing. ChiArts strongly encourages all student artists to attend the Open House events and apply. Young artists attending ChiArts represent all 50 of Chicago’s wards, studying with the city’s most motivated educators and professional teaching artists. All scholar-artists graduate with 2,500 hours of tuition-free arts training.

Students at ChiArts participate in a rigorous program, including five hours of academics, three hours of arts education, and one to four hours of practice or rehearsal per day. The academic curriculum provides students with a college preparatory education. ChiArts utilizes a research-based multi-year curriculum in each discipline, ensuring instructional sequencing across grade levels and alignment with Illinois State and College Readiness Standards. ChiArts offers college prep, honors, and advanced placement (AP) classes. ChiArts takes pride in helping their students develop time management with their extended school day of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (the longest school day in Chicago), honing critical thinking and problem-solving skills in group performances and presentations and expanding students’ cultural awareness in one of Chicago’s most diverse student populations.

ChiArts Campus Tours are available to register for via this link here. These year-round Campus Tours take place on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. ChiArts also accepts invitations to High School Fairs. To contact ChiArts admissions for a High School Fair, email admissions@chiarts.org and/or call 773-534-9718. For more information on ChiArts’ admission information, including upcoming tours and events both in-person and virtual this year, visit ChiArts.org.

  

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