BOSTON: Boston Children’s Theatre has received a $100,000 grant to fund Disney Musicals in Schools, an outreach initiative developed by Disney Theatrical Group to create sustainable theatre programs in under-resourced elementary schools.

“By working with Disney Musicals in Schools, BCT will be able to provide a valuable experience to the Boston public schools that otherwise wouldn’t be possible,” said BCT executive director and producer Toby Schine. “In addition to introducing performance and production opportunities to students, we can also enrich the teachers’ knowledge through training, and provide to them an additional way to connect with their students. The program is a wonderful way to build a strong sense of community within the faculty, the students, and the city.”

The grant will fund two years of programming. Boston Children’s Theatre will select five Boston public schools to participate in 2016, and another group of five schools for 2017. The chosen public schools will participate in a 17-week musical theatre residency program, led by a team of teaching artists trained by BCT and Disney Theatrical Group at no cost to the school. The program will train school teachers to produce, direct, choreograph, and music-direct their first show.

At the conclusion of the program, each school will present a 30-minute Disney KIDS musical, a show created in partnership with Musical Theater International. Each school will also present one number from their show for a Student Share Celebration at BCT for an audience of students, teachers, family, and community members.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2016 program at  www.bostonchildrenstheatre.org/disney.