America's Oldest · Founded 1808

Education Report · 2025-2026 School Year

Professional Apprentice Program 

Walnut Street Theatre's Professional Apprentice Program provides a training ground for 23 students, bridging the gap between education and the professional world. It provides hands-on experience working alongside professionals in specific, concentrated areas. The program is designed to provide a season of intensive education and work experience in one of several aspects of theatre operation.

Adopt-A-School Program

Five Philadelphia schools participated in our Adopt-A-School Program, reaching 2,247 students at underserved schools, making this the most schools and students adopted in program history!

Touring Outreach Program

41 districts, 124 schools, and 239 performances reached 59,391 students through four different touring outreach productions from September of 2025 through May of 2026. 70% of these performances were offered at no cost to Title One schools, thanks to generous donors and grant funding, to help increase accessibility of live theatre.

Theatre School and Camp Walnut 

1,238 students of all ages attended classes and workshops with 68 teaching artists at the Walnut Street Theatre School. Camp Walnut produced six divisions for 128 students with 11 teaching artists, with 12 live performances held for friends and family.  

Residencies

17 WST teaching artists served 25 schools, camps and after school programs, reaching 2,237 total students.

WST for Kids Series

A Christmas Carol, Aladdin Jr and A Christmas Story welcomed 37,567 students over the course of the academic year to our mainstage.

Disney Musicals in Schools (DMIS)

WST Educational Staff served two new Year One schools, in grades 3-5, to help establish their own theatre programming; Students made Disney magic which culminated with an in-school performance as well as a community performance. Additionally, our Year two and Year three schools also held performances. All told, DMIS impacted 3,527 students over the last six years!

Scholarships

83 scholarships for deserving students with financial barriers were awarded to the Theatre School which helped students access arts education at America’s Oldest Theatre. Recipients were from our Adopt a School Program, Disney Musicals in Schools Program as well as multiple residency programs.

Testimonials for the Walnut's Education Programs!

Camp

I want to tell you that this summer has been by far the best camp experience he has ever had. From day one this summer he has come home happy, told me how nice everyone is. When he came home with the Camper of the Day sticker, he was over the moon. So besides all of the incredible theater he is learning, writing and acting in an original show, whatever you and the staff do to make the kids feel that they can be themselves and treat everyone with kindness, it's working.
—Parent
My girls truly loved being at camp Walnut and Laila now has a newfound interest in theatre. We especially support the strict anti-bullying policy at camp. We greatly appreciate all the staff and the effort they put into camp this summer. We are looking forward to attending future shows and becoming members of the Walnut Theatre. Have a wonderful summer.
—Parent

Outreach

This show is so important, most of the messages in this show our students are not comfortable sharing with their parents or teachers and I hope that after seeing this they know that they can. You all did amazing and it was a wonderful show with a message that in a world that is suffering truly needs impact from.
—Teacher

Residency

I appreciate your attention to detail, thoughtful creation of a valuable program for our team and the time and effort that went into this preparation.
—Charles W. Lentz, Assistant Director of Curriculum · Abington School District