Performing Arts Workshop was founded in 1965 with a mission to help young people develop critical thinking, creative expression, and essential learning skills through the arts. The Workshop directs resources at addressing equity, bringing sequential, rigorous training in an art form to youth least likely to have access to it but most likely to benefit greatly. External evaluations have found our program to help youth develop core thinking skills as well social-emotional skills essential to healthy development: respectful communication, creative risk-taking, emotional regulation and self-expression are all benefits of our program. We support teaching quality and fidelity to the Workshop’s method across disciplines through a yearlong rigorous professional development program for artists which includes mentorship, leadership development and opportunities to advance. Since 2013, we have made a commitment to offering salary and benefits packages to our core teaching artists.