Kitty Hawk is the second component of the Adrienne Arsht Center’s Learning Through the Arts program, which ensures that all Miami-Dade County youth experience three meaningful touchpoints with the performing arts for free during their K-12 careers. Kitty Hawk launched in 2017 and is a live theater performance and Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) initiative that aims to educate all 25,000 seventh graders in Miami-Dade County Public Schools about the Wright brothers’ world-changing discovery of flight. Kitty Hawk sparks creative thinking and equips middle school teachers to reach beyond traditional teaching methods to improve STEAM learning in the classroom.

The Musical: An original, Broadway-style production commissioned by the Arsht brings to the stage one of the greatest stories in American history — Wilbur and Orville Wright’s discovery of human flight. Kitty Hawk is written by Tom Bryant, with music and lyrics by Erik Della Penna. Students are transported to the Arsht each year at no cost to them or their schools.

Arts-Integrated Curriculum: The show is accompanied by a state-aligned curriculum created by a collaborative team from the Arsht and Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The Center hosts free teacher workshops to share curriculum with seventh grade educators from across the county.

Afterschool Workshop Series: Students at schools that lack access to high-quality STEAM programs receive hands-on learning opportunities to further enhance their theater experience. These seventh graders discover, create and analyze their own inventions while working with local teachers, scientists, artists and aviation professionals.