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School Programs

Shakespeare in the Classroom

Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s year-round education programs provide the means to enrich the lives of young people in our community by nurturing an early appreciation for Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s texts are part of the core curriculum for all students and the Festival provides programs to enhance and enrich their comprehension of the stories and language. Festival education programs will engage students interactively, giving them the opportunity to live and breathe Shakespeare’s stories and characters.

Heart of America Shakespeare Festival is a proud member of Kansas City Arts Partners, a sequential arts-in-education program for grades K-12, integrating our community’s arts resources into the curriculum of Greater Kansas City area school districts.


Romeo and Juliet: Fortune's Fools

Grades 3-9

Teaching artists interactively bring to life the story of Romeo and Juliet.


The Art of Persuasion! Julius Caesar

Grades 7-12

The story of Julius Caesar is a dynamic backdrop for students to explore the power of persuasion and reality of rhetoric.


En garde Bard! Stage Combat

Grades 6-12

Safety first!  Teaching artists who are also trained combatants will come to your classroom or gymnasium and provide an interactive presentation of stage combat techniques.


Shakespeare Off the Cuff

Grades 4-12

Shakespeare Off the Cuff is an introduction to the world of improvisation.


Sonnet ShakeUP

Grades 4-12

Sonnet ShakeUP is a writing workshop offered to prepare students for participation in the Festival's annual sonnet contest.


Poster Prep

Grades 4-12

Poster Prep is a workshop designed for art classes as a launching point for our yearly poster contest.


Shakespeare Alive!

Grades 4-12

Shakespeare Alive is for classrooms interested in a more in depth look at the works of the world's greatest playwright.