The New Jersey Performing Arts Center has announced a $10 million commitment from Judy and Stewart Colton to establish the Colton Institute for Research and Training in the Arts.

The institute will support arts education programming for students — many of whom come from economically disadvantaged circumstances — including mentorship and field training to help create a pathway for college and career opportunities in the performing arts. It also will conduct research into new arts training techniques and help NJPAC devise ongoing metrics, including qualitative and quantitative criteria, to study the efficacy of its curricular and pedagogical approaches; expand its most effective arts education and teacher training programs to reach more students; develop a more comprehensive arts training experience for teachers and professionals; develop rigorous training for its arts education faculty; and develop and disseminate learnings and tested curricula to other performing arts centers, educators, and the field at-large on a national level.

In addition to direct skills training, NJPAC’s performing arts education methods center students' voices and perspectives as the driver of the art-making experience, supported by coaching and performance training with mentoring programs that emphasize education, professional development, and social and emotional well-being.

“The arts play an undeniable role in the development of children, creating cultural citizens who have knowledge, compassion, and tangible skills to better understand themselves and others, which equip them to contribute to society in meaningful ways,” said NJPAC vice president of arts education Jennifer Tsukayama. “With Judy and Stewart Colton’s meaningful gift, the research institute affords us the opportunity to assess the impact and effectiveness of NJPAC’s teaching, learning philosophies, and programs.”