How A Program Is Born: Virtual Academy

Let me tell you a story about how programs are born. It starts with a conversation. Then blossoms into an idea. Then with a whole lot of creativity, work, and some money, we make it happen.

For a moment, let’s rewind to the pre-covid years of the Foundation, when busloads of students filed into the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach Town Center to see amazing, educational performances multiple times a year. Theater and concert goers alike will tell you there’s nothing like a live show. I loved it. My Board loved it. The kids and schools loved it. Everyone loved it. Why mess up a good thing?

Except we didn’t count on a worldwide pandemic to shutter our doors for 18 months.

Now, move forward with me past the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic to 2021. Teachers are stretched thin and there are double-digit school staffing shortages. Principals are teaching classes to fill in. Parents are learning to drive buses just to get kids to school in the morning. Instructional time is at a premium. Teachers are telling us, “We need your help! Give us teaching content, especially online.” “Help us fix children’s literacy losses.” “We can’t get to the theater, so bring it to us!”

At the same time, my Board and our performance partners are saying, “Theaters are open again.” “These are life changing experiences.” “Kids need to SEE live performances!”

Me: “Hmmm? We need an idea. How about…”

…and we created the Sandler Center Foundation's Virtual Academy – a program we created with the digital equivalent of spit and chewing gum.

It started as a conversation with our teachers and our Board, an idea was born, and then we built a program from scratch. It was (and still is) wildly successful - 42,000 children and counting. I hope you take the time to read more about it here.

More importantly, I hope you share it with your child’s teacher, favorite educator, and after-school program coordinator. It’s FREE to you, with registration. Yes, you read that correctly. FREE!! Help spread the word!

But that’s not the point of this blog post. The point is that we at SCF are listening to YOU - our community. We are listening to your needs, creating ideas, and coming up with solutions using the arts as a catalyst.

Soon, I will tell you about how the Leveling the Performance Field idea was born. In the meantime, have a great week!

Lisa Baehre

Executive Director

Sandler Center Foundation

lbaehre@sandlercenterfoundation.org