Inspired Child (formerly Inner City-Inner Child)

Birth to age five is a crucial period in children’s development, but many of our city’s most underserved children lack access to quality early childhood education. Inspired Child has been filling that gap for over three decades, integrating the arts to nurture children’s growth more effectively. Across multi-week residencies taught by expert teaching artists, infants build a foundation for movement through music; toddlers learn to self-regulate in science-backed movement therapy workshops; and preschoolers engage in an immersive literacy program, improving their logical and creative thinking. Additional workshops, books, and resources encourage parents to use the city as a classroom – exploring as a family its food, music, and different spaces. In addition to supporting more than 1000+ children a year, Inspired Child trains over 1500 teachers annually, ensuring its model can reach more children across the city.