New England School of the Arts Expands to Enroll 6th through 8th Grade Students
Unique education in the Upper Valley
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It was a mere eighteen months ago that a post appeared here on Artful that began:
Suppose you’re a high school kid (or have one at home) with a passion for the arts—theater, creative writing, music, dance—and are wondering if there is a school that would nurture those interests while also providing an academic curriculum. Jennifer and Carl Chambers wondered, too. After searching and “finding no such opportunity within a 60-mile radius of Dartmouth College,” they decided to establish the New England School of the Arts, a private nonprofit high school.
Right here in downtown Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Now middle school kids with a passion for the arts will have a place to land as well. Originally planning to open to highschoolers in the fall of 2023, NESA postponed its highschool opening to focus on summer camp, afterschool and community enrichment offerings in its first year. This fall, NESA's middle and high school will open its doors to 6th through 12th graders.
“Expanding to include middle school students allows NESA to start nurturing young artistic talents earlier and provides high school students with valuable mentorship opportunities. Students will be placed in classes based on proficiency levels, ensuring personalized learning experiences. They will have access to a variety of artistic disciplines to explore and develop their interests. A typical middle school course load includes 7 classes, balancing core academics and arts electives.”—NESA
Applications for the 2024-25 academic year are in process. There are two upcoming Open Houses at the school, located at 9 Hanover St, Lebanon NH (the door is on the pedestrian mall), on June 26 and July 10 at 5:30 pm. More information about the school, the expansion, and the application process can be found on NESA’s website.
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And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.