Performing Arts Learning Center

Performing Arts Learning Centers (PALCs), serve public schools statewide and operate as after-school programs.  Students receive credit for each successfully completed semester.  While students come mainly from the host school, PALCs are inclusive and community-wide, with auditions open to any public school student.Each PALC functions as an educational laboratory for public school students. Through a professional staff of educators, students learn theatrical lighting, sound, stage design and management; vocal technique, musical theory, and sight-reading and dance technique, theory, choreography, auditioning and performance. PALC students perform on campuses and in the community, including local radio stations, shopping malls and festivals.Hawai‘i Arts Alliance has successfully helped fund 9 PALC programs with challenge grants since 2011.

The nine PALCs are the Castle Performing Arts Center,   Kaimuki High School Performing Arts Center, Central Theatre Arts Academy (Mililani HS), Nanakuli High and Intermediate Performing Arts Center, Performing Arts Center of Kapolei, T-Shirt Theatre at Farrington HS, Baldwin HS Performing Arts Center, Hilo HS Performing Arts Learning Center, and Kauai Performing Arts Learning Center (Kauai HS).  We are inviting you to adopt one or more PALC to help continue this crucial program.Your support can include:

  • Recognition in PALC program literature and advertisements as well as exposure statewide;

  • Your organization is able to select any of the above 9 schools to support;

  • Funding levels and length of support can be determined by your organization (usually between $3,000 and $10,000 annually);

  • Monitoring of funds and administration of the program will continue to be conducted by Hawai‘i Arts Alliance, so your staff time is not required;

  • Your organization can determine the level of involvement it wants with the school and the program;

  • Reports on progress and invitations to performances will be sent to your organization.

 Very often the only exposure to the arts for students at these schools comes from participation in the PALC. A significant consensus among research on arts education shows that arts reach students who are not otherwise being reached.  This results in academic and social improvements.  Research continues to find that the arts engage and motivate students to learn, thereby increasing student attendance and graduation rates.

To learn more about PALC Awards, please contact arts@hawaiiartsalliance.org