Improv for Interaction: A NeuroInclusive Residency for LA Youth

K-12 STEAM education

West LA Other

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Many young people in Los Angeles want to participate in the arts, but students with disabilities and those who communicate differently still face barriers to belonging. Prop 28 is expanding arts programs, but many classrooms are not prepared to welcome every student. Educators are asking for expert help as their classrooms diversify. Across Los Angeles, the need is not for more interest in inclusion—it is for practical, real-time support. Now is the moment to build classrooms where belonging is the baseline for every student, not the exception. Arts inclusion matters because creative experiences help all students build empathy, confidence, and communication skills. Improv is especially effective because it gives every student a playful, low-stakes space to try new things, connect, and build friendships across differences. When schools have the tools to include every student, we see more confident learners, stronger peer bonds, and classrooms that reflect LA’s diversity.

Improv for Interaction is The Miracle Project’s answer to this need. TMP will partner with one elementary and one high school to pilot free, accessible improv residencies. Each week, students from diverse backgrounds, including those who speak or use alternative communication methods, will come together for creative improvisation that encourages participation, connection, and growth. Activities will welcome and normalize all forms of expression, including movement, gestures, words, or devices, so every contribution is valued. This approach celebrates different ways of interacting and ensures everyone has a meaningful role.
TMP staff will work with teachers to co-design each session, model inclusive practices, and provide coaching so the benefits last after the program ends. The curriculum will be adapted for each age group and school, making activities meaningful for all students. The program will welcome students with and without disabilities, experienced performers, newcomers, and those who communicate in many ways. To extend the impact, each student will receive a take-home Improv Playbook (a guide of activities and prompts for families to use together) encouraging creativity and connection at home. By sharing this approach, TMP will help schools grow confident, creative learners and build classrooms where students support one another, teachers feel ready, and families can trust their children are welcomed, understood, and supported.

If this project succeeds, Los Angeles will have a living model for what real, sustainable inclusion looks like in the arts. Classrooms will move beyond simply checking boxes and will become spaces where every student, whether neurodivergent, disabled, or nondisabled, learns, creates, and grows together. Teachers who once felt alone in adapting curriculum will have proven tools and a supportive community. Families will see their children celebrated for their unique strengths, not defined by what supports they need. School leaders and policymakers will be able to point to a concrete example of how investments in the arts and education build genuine belonging, resilience, and hope. By documenting and sharing our approach, TMP will help more schools and organizations citywide embrace inclusion as the standard and not the exception. This project offers a scalable, actionable model for schools committed to making inclusion real and lasting.