Meet a variety of Music Circus professionals, improve children’s understanding of musical theater and receive six extra units of continuing education toward your master’s degree.

These are just a few of many incentives for teaching at the Wells Fargo ?Teaching Through Musical Theater Institute,” an outreach and education program developed by California Musical Theatre to integrate performing arts into the classroom.

“What the program focuses on is giving K-8 students the opportunity to learn about musical theater,” said Chris McSwain, public relations manager for the California Musical Theatre. “Teachers will learn how to incorporate history and English literacy requirements through theater,” McSwain said.

There will be two one-week, 40-hour sessions. The first session, July 9 through 15, will focus on the production of the Meredith Willson classic, “The Music Man,” while session two, July 16 through 22, will concentrate on Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods.” This program gives teachers the tools of theater to use working with literacy skills.

Teachers will also learn how to read and interpret plays and scripts, and about visual and performing art standards.

“They will have the opportunity to meet the directors, choreographers, and many other professionals from the Music Circus,” said Victoria Plata, director of Outreach and Education of the California Musical Theatre.

“Teachers will be allowed to bring their lunch and watch rehearsals of the plays in the tent,” said Plata.

Plata says that the most important thing about the program is that it trains teachers innovative ways to teach theater to students.

“Our students have little opportunities to view and appreciate live performances the way they should. This is a wonderful way to instruct students. Learning in a physical environment gives children skills that they will use in their everyday lives,” Plata said.

One of the teachers has been writing musicals for his classes about Thomas Edison, Plata said. “Merging science and performing arts is a perfect example of what we are trying to do.”

Applications are being accepted through April 23. For more information or how to apply, contact Jaime Johnston at (916) 446-5880 ext. 147 or via email at [email protected].”The way for applicants to apply is (they) need to fill out an application form, a nomination form, and get an endorsement from the superintendent or district,” said Jaime Johnston, Outreach and Education assistant for California Musical Theatre. “Those can be obtained by calling me and I will send you one.”