Hamden, CT — May 31, 2026 — Arts for Learning Connecticut (AFLCT) has received a $50,000 grant from the Honda USA Foundation in support of Breaking Free: Kinesthetic and Sensory Learning through the Arts, an arts-integrated residency program serving students with disabilities.
The award represents a significant increase from the Foundation’s 2025 grant of $25,000 and will allow AFLCT to restore and expand the program to four partner schools during the 2026–27 school year, reaching approximately 200 students ages 11-22 across Connecticut.
“This remarkable investment from the Honda USA Foundation allows us to significantly deepen and expand one of the most impactful programs we offer,” said John-Michael Parker, Executive Director of Arts for Learning Connecticut. “Breaking Free creates joyful, adaptive, and empowering arts experiences for students with disabilities, students who are too often excluded from high-quality arts learning opportunities. We are incredibly grateful for Honda USA Foundation’s continued partnership and belief in this work.”
Breaking Free delivers weekly, 90-minute arts residencies led by professional Teaching Artists experienced in adaptive instruction and inclusive arts practices. Students engage in music, movement, theater, puppetry, photography, and visual arts through hands-on workshops designed around Universal Design for Learning and culturally responsive teaching practices.
For the 2026-27 program year, AFLCT will partner with Whitney Academy, Oak Hill School, ACES Center for Autism Spectrum and Developmental Disorders, and the Connecticut Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind (BESB). The expanded initiative will provide more than 12,000 student contact hours across 40 weeks of programming.
The program is designed to support social-emotional growth, communication skills, confidence, creativity, and engagement through collaborative arts experiences tailored to diverse learning needs.
“This program was supported by a grant from the Honda USA Foundation,” said Parker. “Their support helps remove barriers and expand access to meaningful learning experiences for young people navigating disability, economic hardship, and educational inequity.” For more information about Honda USA Foundation, visit https://csr.honda.com/funding.