3/19/2025
Education and Outreach
On March 10, students and educators from seven Nevada schools ascended to the stage at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts to demonstrate how much they’ve learned from their participation in this year’s Disney Musicals in Schools program.
“Our students have worked incredibly hard since September, and tonight as a celebration of their dedication, creativity and teamwork. Watching them grow their confidence and skills for these past several months has been truly inspiring,” Karly Schindler, music teacher and team leader at Abston Elementary, told the enthusiastic crowd assembled for the annual event, held for the 10th time inside Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center.
· All the students from the seven schools teaming up to open the night, fittingly, with “It Starts With a Dream.”
· Students from Abston Elementary School performing “Prologue/The Aristocats” from Aristocats Kids.
· Students from Scott Elementary School performing “Hakuna Matata”” from The Lion King Kids.
· Students from Hewetson Elementary School performing “Jungle Prologue” from The Jungle Book Kids.
· Students from Pahranagat Valley Elementary School performing “Friend Like Me” from Aladdin Kids.
· Students from Ferron Elementary School performing “The Bare Necessities” from The Jungle Book Kids.
· Students from Peterson RISE Academy performing “In Summer” from Frozen Kids.
· Students from Conners Elementary School performing “I Wanna Be Like You” from The Jungle Book Kids.
Justin Hinton, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and part of the Good Morning Las Vegas team at KTNV Channel 13, served as host for the 2025 Disney Musicals in School Student Share Celebration. “All of the teachers at these seven schools have dedicated hours of extra time each work to work with their students to put these shows together. It is truly wonderful to see these amazing educators give their students new and enriching opportunities.”
In 2013, The Smith Center became just the second organization outside of New York to implement the Disney Musicals in Schools program. Today, The Smith Center is one of 27 arts organizations across the country and in the U.K. to offer the program.
Disney Musicals in Schools provides a limited number of area schools with free performances rights and ShowKit materials to a 30-minute Disney musical. Professional teaching artists guide schoolteachers through the process of mounting a musical with student performers.
The mission of Disney Musicals in Schools is to provide the training necessary for teachers to continue a tradition of theater education for years to come. “The goal is to build sustainable theater programs in schools,” said Candy Schneider, vice president for education and outreach at The Smith Center.
To participate in The Smith Center’s Disney Musicals in Schools program, interested schools must submit an application. Schools eligible for participation will have 75% or more of their students enrolled in the Free and Reduced Price Lunch program, or be a designated CEP site.
Pahranagat Valley Elementary, located in the small town of Alamo some 90 minutes north of Las Vegas, participated in this year’s program by way of a remote-learning platform called StageConnect, created by Disney Theatrical Group to help schools that might not have access to professionals to guide them through the process.
“For the first time ever, these kids have had an opportunity to perform, and they have blown me away with the dedication, with their love of music and with their performance,” Pahranagat Valley teacher Kyla Linares said. “Thank you so much to Disney Musicals in Schools and The Smith Center for making this dream a reality.”
Since its inception, Disney Musicals in Schools has served more than 100,000 students.
This year’s seven participating Las Vegas schools recently staged their own in-school musicals before coming together at The Smith Center to share some of what they’ve learned in front of family members and friends.
“Our students have made many new friends who share the same interests and talents that they do,” said Glenda Duspiva, a literacy specialist at Ferron Elementary. “They’ve worked so hard to put on our show this year.”