HD Live in Schools
The Met’s HD Live in Schools program brings opera to students across the nation and around the world. Through opera performances, interdisciplinary classroom resources, and virtual interactions with Met stars, the HD Live in Schools program is dedicated to making opera both accessible and thrilling to young audiences.
Established in 2007, HD Live in Schools builds on the company’s Emmy and Peabody Award–winning Live in HD transmissions, which use the latest satellite and high-definition technology to transmit Met performances in real time to movie theaters across the globe. For the first time during the 2007–08 season, the Met utilized new media technology to transmit Live in HD performances into five New York City public high schools at no cost to students.
During the 2008–09 season, the program began expanding into school districts across the country with students attending Live in HD performances at their own local movie theaters. Today, HD Live in Schools is an active part of students’ education in nearly 70 districts across the United States—including Puerto Rico—bringing together an ever-expanding network of young opera lovers, with nearly 200,000 students participating to date.
The country’s largest opera education program, HD Live in Schools partners with schools, districts, and nonprofits to provide:
- Up to 200 free tickets to Live in HD screenings at local movie theaters and complementary educational licenses to Met Opera on Demand, the Met’s online streaming platform with nearly 850 full-length performances
- A suite of interdisciplinary curricular resources, including educator guides with contextual materials and plug-and-play lessons for students across grade levels; opera arrangements for various choral and instrumental student ensembles; and illustrated synopses for young readers
- Virtual student engagement programming, including Opera Book Club, which invites students to join conversations with authors and artists; Virtual Honors Choir for students to perform new arrangements of opera classics; and Career Corner and Artist Chat interviews that allow students to engage with Met administrators and creative staff
- Robust professional development opportunities for educators and administrators, including an annual National Educator Conference hosted at the Metropolitan Opera House, two Virtual Educator Conferences during the season, and Pop-Up P. D. workshops for interested partners
Supported through a partnership with the New York City Department of Education, HD Live in Schools is free for all participating districts.
