HPS Fine Arts Department Announces the Hingham High School Arts Pathway Program
Hingham, MA – The Hingham Public Schools (HPS) Fine Arts Department is pleased to announce the incorporation of the HHS Arts Pathway Program into the Hingham High School Program of Studies for the 2024-2025 school year. This comes after the program’s successful pilot during the 2023-2024 school year.
The Arts Pathway Program applies a community-based approach to support Hingham High School students in cultivating a passion and appreciation for the Fine and Performing Arts. Through participation in professional and school arts events, community-building, mentorship, coursework, and career-oriented opportunities, students will develop skills that will foster enthusiasm for the arts throughout high school and beyond. This program was modeled after the current Global Citizenship Program at Hingham High School and inspired by DESE Innovation Career Pathways program models.
During the 2023-2024 school year, Fine Arts Director Joann Bellis collaborated with the non-profit organization Hingham Arts Alliance to develop and implement a pilot version of this program. Between the club version of the program and the more rigorous “certificate” version, over 50 HHS students have since engaged with the group.
The Hingham Arts Alliance provided funding and high-quality resources to support the launch of the innovative pilot to ensure its success in the first year. Some examples of their support include the funding of multiple teacher stipends, the organization of a College and Career Arts Alumni Panel, and the funding of ticket costs for a collaborative art/music field trip to see an open rehearsal with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
The goal of the Arts Pathway Program is to build a more connected arts community, provide opportunities for students to engage with Fine and Performing Arts within and outside of the school, better prepare students for college and careers in creative fields, and elevate significant coursework in the arts on the high school transcript.
To learn more about the program, please reach out to Fine Arts Director Joann Bellis (jbellis@hinghamschools.org).