TABLE OF
CONTENTS
The start of 2023 has been a period of critical growth at Spotlight. We added an 18+ class to our beginners musical training program along with a wonderful new dance teacher, Manuel Rodriguez. We hosted two phenomenal guest artists, Elizabeth McGuire and Tiffany Mellard, who generously shared their time, tools and passion for the performing arts with our summer intensive students along with our brilliant local artists Mariel Iannello and Benjamin Iglesias. We piloted a successful new program and partnership in Brazil led by myself, Bhumi Dalia, Drew Humphrey, Mariel Iannello and Alex Vargas.
In addition, our data collection leader Lucía Díaz tracked and processed the progression of English reading and speech according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and the development of soft skills throughout our programs in Lima. Our findings support the notion that arts-based education re-defines what it means to learn deeply. It is a medium that brings joy, movement, imagination and a wealth of creative pathways into the classroom.
The next chapter of our journey involves continuing to strengthen our base and student body in Lima, iterating on our data collection tracking, refining our methodology, training more local teachers, piloting in different countries across Latin America, and creating a non-profit umbrella organization in the United States.
Without your contribution to our community, we would not be where we are today.
Thank you so much for your support - we can't wait to see what comes next!
With gratitude,
Kara
From the Founder:
“After 7 years of living and working in Perú, I found myself in a position as a music teacher and musical theater director at a school in Lima. There, I noticed a diverse level of English ability in my students. As the year progressed, I watched in awe as my Peruvian students commanded the stage. Even as I was taken by their emerging performance skills, I started to become acutely aware and observant of the ways in which their English skills were concurrently flourishing in addition to creative thinking, adaptability and overall confidence. This was nothing short of astounding to me. I realized then that my purpose had become very clear - I wanted to commit to the development of student’s language and social skills by way of story-telling and the performing arts. In 2019, I launched Spotlight to make this a reality.”
-Kara Seigal
Over 400 students served across Perú, Brazil and virtually.
Multiple guest artists and teachers from Perú, Venezuela and the US.
Expansion across Latin America.
Spotlight started with 20 students aged 13-17 in a two month training program.
Due to COVID protocols in Perú, Spotlight continued creating art and empowering students through online programs.
We completed a vastly successful pilot of a Spotlight bootcamp in January with our first partner school in Brazil, Colégio Santo Anjo, based in Curitiba.
students
programs
years of experience
As kids grow up, the time they spend playing goes down. Every transition they experience reduces the amount of time they spend exploring, experimenting and interacting with the world. At Spotlight, we give youth a safe space in which they can make mistakes and learn.
"Research shows that people learn best from experiences that are joyful, that meaningfully connect the play to their lives, actively engaging, allow testing things iteratively and are socially interactive".
Learning through Play¹
"Through play, children and young people of all ages develop problem-solving skills, imagination and creativity, language and observation skills, and memory and concentration. "
Education Scotland²
8-week summer program where students put up a musical montage with a final presentation. Meant for students with experience in the performing arts. We hold two groups, ages 13-17 and ages 18-25. Students get the Broadway experience with Peruvian teachers and guest artists from the US.
12-week program meant for students with little to no experience in the performing arts. Students are introduced to singing, dancing and acting.
January - March 2023
12-week program meant for students with little to no experience in the performing arts and beginner English language learners. Students are introduced to singing, dancing and acting.
"I am very proud of myself because I have become more confident on performing in front of an audience. I feel like having been able to be in this program is like a little step of making my dream come true and I am very happy with all the improvement I’ve had. Thank you Spotlight!"
Valeria, Musical Theatre Training Program student
Due to the success of our first Musical Theatre Training Program for beginners last year, we decided to expand and opened a second schedule.
8-week summer program where students put together a musical montage with a final presentation. Meant for students with experience in the performing arts and intermediate to advanced English.
"I feel that Spotlight has helped me develop my confidence, I have also acquired a lot of technique and improved my skills."
Lucy, Performing Arts Summer Intensive Program student
"I'm more than happy with my daughter's development, the English practice, I'm very grateful to Spotlight for this new experience"
Performing Arts Summer Intensive Program parent
More than 1 / 3 of our students improved their English writing skills significantly*
More than 1 / 3 of our students improved their range, fluency and phonological control in their spoken English*
*Significant improvement refers to a student going up a level (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Students were evaluated at the beginning, middle, and end of the program and had their progress monitored.
"It takes approximately 200 guided learning hours for a language learner to progress from one level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) to the next."
For comparison, our Summer Intensive Programs had 96 English Immersion hours
And our Musical Theater Training Program had 54 English Immersion hours
Program meant for intermediate to advanced English language learners
Program meant for beginner English language learners
1 . H, S. Guided learning hours – cambridge english support site. Available at: https://support.cambridgeenglish.org/hc/en-gb/articles/202838506-Guided-learning-hours (Accessed: March 30, 2023).
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Score that ranges from 1-10 and measures how likely would a costumer recommend this service.
Student average across all programs
“One day I was just crying a lot and had to put myself together [...] Everyone was so good, the teachers came to me and asked me if I was good. In my house, they don’t ask me if I’m good. [...] When I saw my classmates dancing, I just felt like I belonged.”
Intensive Program student, aged 17
"I am not here just to get a part, I am here to create art."
Intensive Program student, aged 20
"[Spotlight] helped me understand that me not being okay doesn't mean I have to be alone"
We talked with students about their experience with community at Spotlight.
"Latin America has one of the highest mismatches in the world between skills taught by its educational institutions and those demanded by local employers."
IDB, 2019³
Historically, secondary education systems have assumed that those from higher income backgrounds do not need vocational training and that individuals from lower income households and rural areas do not need “soft” skills. This segmentation in skills delivery within the secondary education system over time has helped maintain the status quo while limiting the opportunities of the youth in more vulnerable parts of society (Rodríguez, 2021)².
²Rodríguez, L. (2021). Challenges and opportunities for secondary education in Latin America and the Caribbean during and after the pandemic. Insights | Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. Retrieved from https://www.cepal.org/en/insights/challenges-and-opportunities-secondary-education-lati
n-america-and-caribbean-during-and
³Inter-American Development Bank (2019). El Futuro ya está aquí: Habilidades transversales de América Latina. Retrieved from https://publications.iadb.org/publications/spanish/document/El-futuro-ya-está-aqui-Habilidades-transversales-de-America-Latina-y-el-Caribe-en-el-siglo-XXI.pdf
January - March 2023
We completed a vastly successful pilot of a Spotlight bootcamp in January with our first partner school in Brazil, Colégio Santo Anjo, based in Curitiba.
Image by Colégio Santo Anjo (Brazil)
“I loved every single minute of it...I got to explore things that I didn’t even know that I was capable of doing…and it makes me believe in myself.”
Leticia, student
“It’s been a crazy experience, to do a whole show in two weeks. It has been great! It is a very different process from doing theater because of the short period of time, everything is rushed…it was different…it was great!”
Teo, student
Andre
Performing Arts Program Alumni
"Being in Spotlight was a 360º change in my life. Besides improving my fluency in English and as an artist, I grew a lot as a person. I learned to be more empathetic, to work in a team and to trust my talents and abilities more. Spotlight made me feel like I had a home and I will always be grateful for that."
"Entering Spotlight for me was a gift since I not only learned many things but also gained friends who are now like family. I also got the opportunity to merge two different worlds that often go hand in hand which are psychology and the performing arts. I now plan to create a methodology where more people can express, feel and act from a more therapeutic point of view."
Jhonny
Bachelor's degree in Psychology
Training Program Alumni
"Without Spotlight I wouldn't be where I am. What's more, I probably wouldn't even be doing musical theater. Spotlight was my first introduction to musical theater in English and since doing Waitress in 2019 I have fallen in love with what I do. I thank Spotlight for my career, and also for the loving and caring community that forms with all the students, teacher directors and staff. It feels like a family. My first theater family."
Isabella
Musical Theatre major in Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Performing Arts Program alumni
16 week musical montage from April to July
We are continuing to partner with schools all over Latin America