Hippodrome Foundation, Inc. - HFI

06/02/2026

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒏 employ!

George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology students took a deep dive into costume design this year through our Career Pathways program. They’ve learned about career paths related to costuming, which can include sewing, shopping, dressing, organizing wardrobe, design, and more - and they’ve gained skills that will support their advancement in the performance industry.

Read more about their experience here: https://hippodromefoundation.org/theater-can-create-opportunity/

Donations to the Hippodrome Foundation enable students nearing graduation to learn about opportunities for employment that theater can provide. When you give, you can help a young person start down a path toward employment in theater!

Visit www.hippodromefoundation.org/donate to give today!

05/29/2026

“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒏 give a voice to stories that history tried to silence.”

This statement, made by REACH! Partnership School student Azeia from the stage of the M&T Bank Exchange at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center to a group of 240 of her peers and local business and philanthropy leaders, floored us! Thank you, Azeia, for being brave enough to speak up and share the impact 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐧 have on learning.

Azeia’s teacher, Mr. Xander Conte reflected, “As a teacher, it was empowering and fulfilling to see this program give opportunities to Baltimore City Public Schools students to not only watch, but to engage through sharing their own experiences while being supported by their peers, on stage alongside working professionals. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒏 bring people together from all different backgrounds, and 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐧 connect our communities to remind us we’re all living the human experience. I am so thankful the Hippodrome Foundation uses its platform to show students in Baltimore the healing power theatre has and to reveal the strength in our students’ voices to enlighten the future.”

This special student programming, built around themes from Suffs Musical, was made possible by a grant from the Baltimore Community Foundation and by philanthropic support from individual donors. The Hippodrome Foundation provides free programming year-round, leveraging the many ways theater can enhance learning and create opportunities for young people.

The Hippodrome Foundation is a non-profit, and we count on the support of the community to keep all of our programs completely free for the thousands of local students we serve each year. Join us as a donor today, and help even more kids benefit from the energy only theater can provide.

Visit www.hippodromefoundation.org/donate now!

Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center

05/27/2026

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒏 educate!

This Spring, students from six Baltimore City Public Schools and Baltimore County Public Schools high schools cemented learning about the women’s suffrage movement through theater. Building upon the Suffs Musical, the Hippodrome Foundation created a 3-part educational program, beginning by partnering with teachers on in-classroom learning.

Next up, we welcomed students to the M&T Bank Exchange at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center for “Standing on Her Shoulders: The Power of Women - Past, Present, and Future,” inviting wisdom from panelists Rachel Sussman (SUFFS Lead Producer), Elaine Weiss (author and Historical Advisor to SUFFS), Tanya Terrell of the T. Rowe Price Foundation, Maria Tildon of Johns Hopkins University, and WBAL-TV 11's Megan Rivers. Six students inspired their peers with short speeches on something they think is worth fighting for and brought down the house!

Finally, all of these 240 students will take in an evening performance of SUFFS alongside patrons at the historic Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center this week - and what a show they'll experience!

While learning about powerful movements in our nation’s history is always memorable, we know that 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒏 make it even more so: we’re certain the lessons SUFFS imparts about voting, equal rights, collaboration, and activism will stick with these students for a long while.

We’re looking forward to offering more in-depth programming like this, with your help! When you support the Hippodrome Foundation, you affirm that 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒏 educate, and you help make it happen.

Visit www.hippodromefoundation.org/donate to give today!

05/20/2026

Theater can inspire!

Catonsville High School/ Baltimore County Public Schools student Lily S. participated in a tech tour and props creation session through the Hippodrome Foundation Career Pathways program.

Of her time at the Hippodrome, Lily says…
“I've never had such a hands-on experience where I could see and interact with so many skills from prop-making to how the set pieces work. I feel so inspired to look into a technical theater job when before I thought the different pathways were much more limited.”

When you donate to the Hippodrome Foundation, you can inspire more students to envision themselves in career paths they hadn’t known about before.

Visit www.hippodromefoundation.org/donate to give today!

05/18/2026

This school year, and for the past twenty years that the Hippodrome Foundation has existed, we’ve witnessed the power of theater. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙣 impact people in many ways. It can educate, empower, inspire, teach, and so much more. As the seasons change and we move from school year into summer programming, we’ll be spending the next few weeks reflecting on all that 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙣 do.

We’re kicking off our 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝙖𝙣 campaign by inviting you to share what you know 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙣 do! Please comment below and let us know what 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙣 and does accomplish for you or someone you care about.

Want to get even more impact and news from the Hippodrome Foundation? Sign up for our e-newsletter here: https://hippodromefoundation.org/newsletter/

05/13/2026

Flashback to the electrifying day we had last week in the M&T Bank Exchange at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center bringing science to life for the incredible students of Baltimore City Public Schools and Baltimore County Public Schools with Doktor Kaboom! Doktor Kaboom took the stage and turned learning into a spectacle of fun and discovery, reminding us all that science is for everyone!

From exciting experiments that left jaws on the floor, to courageous student volunteers who rocked the stage, every second was amazing! Doktor Kaboom also infused our students with life lessons and a confidence boost to inspire a lifetime of learning! Here’s a snapshot of the wisdom dropped:

🤓 You can be the greatest scientist who ever lived and be wrong every time! The important thing is that you learn.

🗣 The most important words that will be said to you in your life are the words you say to yourself.

🏆 Success: See yourself succeeding before you even try. The more detailed you make the picture, the better chance of success you will have!

A round of applause to all of the students and educators who joined us. Keep experimenting, keep questioning, and most importantly, keep having fun with science! 🎉🔬

04/23/2026

This year marks 250 years since the founding of the United States — a perfect time to pause and celebrate the ideals and experiences that make up the legacy of our country, and to recognize and inspire the work that still lies ahead of us. The Hippodrome Foundation made this happen in style yesterday with a focus on the women's suffrage movement, thanks to the partnership of the Baltimore Community Foundation and its Legacy Forward grant program and inspired by Suffs Musical.

We welcomed more than 200 students from six Baltimore County Public Schools and Baltimore City Public Schools high schools to the M&T Bank Exchange at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center for "Standing on Her Shoulders: The Power of Women - Past, Present, and Future," a program we designed to honor the efforts of our ancestors to gain the right to vote, and to inspire efforts by the next generation to continue advancing equality.

A scholar from each school took the stage to share a powerful speech on something worth fighting for today. Brava, students - you are leading the way! As suffragists' banners communicated and the show echoes, "the young are at the gates!"

Our energizing and wise panel included Rachel Sussman, Lead Producer of Suffs Musical; Tanya Terrell, VP of the T. Rowe Price Foundation; Maria Tildon, VP of Government, Community, and Economic Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University; and Elaine Weiss, Author of 'The Woman's Hour' and Historical Advisor to Suffs Musical. With the guidance of moderator Megan Rivers of WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore, panelists reflected on inspiration they've gained from heroes of the women's suffrage movement, challenges they've faced and how they've navigated them, and the importance of allies and friendships. They encouraged the student audience to believe that they are already equipped to use their voices for change, to take a stand, and to vote as soon as they are eligible!

Suffs Musical author Shaina Taub and history-making Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski delivered motivation via video, and Hippodrome Foundation Co-Chair Nichole Baccala Ward and President Olive Cobb Waxter opened and closed the event with gratitude for the power of theater to teach and inspire us, and recognition of the many hands that worked together to bring the initiative to life. Wide Angle Youth Media captured the event beautifully!

Messages were based in reality rather than idealism, reminding students that some work will never be done, but that it's still worth doing. This quote from the Talmud inspired Shaina and Rachel in the creation of Suffs Musical, and was impressed upon the students: "You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it." Keep marching!

Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center

04/21/2026

The Hippodrome Foundation is giving a standing ovation to the extension of the Maryland Theatrical Tax Credit Program! Not only does this legislation stimulate employment, bolster economic activity for lodging, transportation, restaurants, and shopping, and give local audiences a first look at exciting performances that launch in Maryland — but it also enables hundreds of students to attend final dress rehearsals before each tour launch makes its debut in Baltimore at the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center! (Dress rehearsals only occur when a national tour launches.)

We're looking back at dress rehearsals of Phantom of the Opera, The Great Gatsby, & Juliet, and The Wiz, and looking forward to future dress rehearsals, thanks to this program. Attending a dress rehearsal gives students a deeper understanding of the effort and logistics of professional musical theater, complements their curriculum, and makes space for inspiration and imagination — among many other benefits!

(Can't read the article? Access The Baltimore Sun through your Baltimore County Public Library or Enoch Pratt Free Library card!)

https://www.baltimoresun.com/2026/04/16/theater-tax-extended-maryland/

03/24/2026

Baltimore County Public Schools visit the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center to learn about career pathways in the theater industry!

01/24/2026

Nominate your favorite Baltimore City Principal!

By Dyana Neal | Posted in Host Blogs, Interviews, WBJC Programs | Comments Off on Celebrating the best principals in Baltimore City schools