Educational Pathways Academy (EPA) serves students with language-based learning disabilities, primarily dyslexia, many of whom also have ADHD. Our students work diligently to develop literacy and academic skills, while also building the confidence, communication, problem-solving, and social-emotional skills that are essential to success in school and beyond.
During the 2025–2026 school year, through a classroom grant from Champions For Learning, EPA partnered with The Naples Players (TNP) to introduce students to structured improvisation as a tool for developing these skills. In a daylong workshop structured in a small group format, students participated in interactive improv exercises, practiced listening, accepting and supporting others, problem-solving, storytelling, and adapting to unexpected situations. The pilot demonstrated the potential of this approach and generated positive feedback from students and teachers. Many teachers were excited to incorporate some of the improv activities into class warm ups and throughout their day.
I am requesting a grant to build on our partnership with The Naples Players. An instructor from TNP will come to EPA throughout the school year to work with select classroom groups (8 total visits). Rather than a single workshop experience, this model will allow teachers and TNP to identify specific areas where students would benefit from additional support, such as confidence, communication, collaboration, flexible thinking, or problem-solving, and tailor sessions according to the teacher’s stated goals.
My overall goal is to create an yearlong program that uses the engaging and low-risk nature of improvisation to help students strengthen skills that support both academic participation and positive relationships with others.
During each Improv session, select groups of students will participate in interactive 1-hour or 30-minute workshops led by an instructor from The Naples Players. Classroom groups will be selected based on identified student needs, allowing the program to provide more targeted support throughout the year. Each workshop will utilize some of the five basic skills of improv: listening, accepting, supporting, problem solving, and storytelling.
Students will participate in fun and interactive games at their own level, displaying quick thinking creative skills and then expanding upon them. Sessions will use structured improv games, role-playing, storytelling, and collaborative exercises to give students opportunities to practice communication and social-emotional skills in an environment that is fun, active, and supportive. Students will practice listening to one another, expressing ideas, responding to unexpected situations, working collaboratively, taking appropriate risks, and solving problems together.
Improv games incorporate movement, imagination, sustained attention, and observation skills. Students will participate in these activities in their classrooms alongside their teachers. This “together” approach allows both students and teachers to fully immerse themselves in the experience and provides teachers with strategies they can reinforce throughout the school year.
Teachers will communicate with the team at The Naples Players about areas of need before sessions so that activities can be responsive to individual classroom groups. Teachers can then reinforce strategies and concepts introduced during the workshops as students encounter similar situations in the classroom, group work, and less structured social settings.
EPA expects participating students to demonstrate growth in communication, self-expression, collaboration, problem-solving, flexible thinking, and confidence. Improv has been shown to promote self confidence, and increase ability to tolerate distress in uncertain situations by learning to think quickly and adapt to surroundings. Students will have repeated opportunities to practice skills that can be challenging for children with language-based learning differences, including expressing ideas clearly, responding appropriately to peers, considering another person’s perspective, adapting when something does not go as expected, and participating confidently in a group.
The monthly format is an important evolution of the pilot program. Instead of asking students to retain and apply skills introduced during a single workshop, students and teachers will have opportunities to revisit concepts throughout the year, identify new areas for growth, and build upon previous successes.
Teachers will observe students for changes in participation, collaboration, communication, willingness to take appropriate risks, problem-solving, and confidence. Feedback from students, classroom observations, teacher notes, and communication with The Naples Players will help EPA evaluate the program’s impact.
An examples of how this program benefits students was observed during the pilot workshop last year: during one activity students were asked to walk across the room while carrying an imaginary - and very large - bowl of Jell-O, then carefully hand it to another participant. The game was a lot of fun for the students while also incorporating movement, imagination, focus, observation, and interaction with others. Seeing my students use these skills in fast paced, fun, and low risk environment demonstrated the effectiveness of this type of exercise, especially for neurodivergent students.
Grant funds of $2,000 will support one-hour or 30-minute sessions (combination will total 8 hours), customized workshops led by a teaching artist from The Naples Players throughout the school year. The cost includes instructor travel time, pre-workshop conferencing with EPA teachers to identify student and classroom goals, and preparation time to develop lessons and select or create improv games and activities tailored to each group’s needs. This investment allows each workshop to be intentionally designed to strengthen targeted skills such as communication, confidence, collaboration, flexible thinking, and problem-solving so that students can benefit from targeted sessions.
2000
Session 1 (TNP instructor will consult, plan, travel, and lead a one hour workshop for students)
250
Session 2 (TNP instructor will consult, plan, travel, and lead a one hour workshop for students)
250
Session 3 (TNP instructor will consult, plan, travel, and lead a one hour workshop for students)
250
Session 4 (TNP instructor will consult, plan, travel, and lead a one hour workshop for students)
250
Session 5 (TNP instructor will consult, plan, travel, and lead a one hour workshop for students)
250
Session 6 (TNP instructor will consult, plan, travel, and lead a one hour workshop for students)
250
Session 7 (TNP instructor will consult, plan, travel, and lead a one hour workshop for students)
250
Session 8 (TNP instructor will consult, plan, travel, and lead a one hour workshop for students)
