The Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts™ is an internationally respected program that provides innovative arts-based teaching strategies and services to early childhood teachers, caregivers, parents, and their children from 0 to 5 through the disciplines of drama, music, and movement.

The Wolf Trap Institute employs professional artists with experience in working with children. Their specialties include creative dramatics, storytelling, puppetry, instrumental and vocal music, dance, and movement. New artists participate in a comprehensive Wolf Trap training program, and all artists participate in continuing in-service training. Master Teaching Artists regularly conduct teacher and parent training workshops and classroom residencies for early childhood educators nationwide.

Classroom residencies and other collaborations between performing artists and early childhood professionals serve to:

• enrich and motivate the teacher’s professional development;
• engage young children in active, creative learning experiences;
• energize efforts to bring parents and caregivers together into the classroom; and
• enliven the classroom environment.

As Wolf Trap Institute activities are woven into the curriculum, the arts become a new way of teaching, learning, and knowing.