Saying Yes to Students: How Theater Is Building Confidence and Community at AF Hartford Elementary

When students took the stage for Madagascar – A Musical Adventure JR. at Achievement First Hartford Elementary, they brought more than a musical to life. They showed what can happen when a school makes room for students to create, take risks, and discover new strengths. The school’s drama program began four years ago, after teacher Bennett Cognato started bringing his guitar to school and performing at cultural celebrations. Encouraged by then-principal Raven Obas, he helped turn a small winter concert into the program’s first musical production, The Lion King KIDS. Cognato has worked at Achievement First for 10 years and has performed in community theater since 2011. He has completed the coursework for his M.A. in Theatre Education at the University of Northern Colorado and is finishing a graduate thesis on culturally sustaining production practices. He expects to complete the degree in December 2026. Alia-Mae Blake, a building substitute teacher who has taught across multiple elementary grade levels during her four years at Achievement First, joined the program from the beginning. Having grown up participating in theater herself, she wanted AF Hartford Elementary students to have that same opportunity. Today, the program brings together approximately 80 to 90 student performers and as many as a dozen staff members. It has grown from one annual show into a schoolwide effort built around a guiding principle: say yes to students. “We try to say yes to students and their artistry,” Cognato said. “If there’s a student who has trouble reading, a student who needs additional support, or a student who has autism, the answer is yes. What are the supports that we need for you to be successful?” That invitation extends beyond acting. Students help develop choreography and characters, design posters and sets, and mentor younger performers. During A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS, a third grader drew her vision for the characters’ homes. Staff turned her drawings into part of the set. When she saw it, she exclaimed, “That’s what I drew. That’s my drawing.” Blake has watched that sense of possibility grow in Elaina Morales. Elaina joined the club as a quiet second grader playing one of the Rafikis in The Lion King KIDS. She returned year after year, taking on more challenging roles. Most recently, she played King Julien in Madagascar – A Musical Adventure JR. and Ophelia in a staged reading of Hamlet. Though students did not have to memorize their lines for Hamlet, Elaina arrived ready to perform without her script. “She just brought a little bit more every year,” Blake said. “A little bit more focus, a little bit more seriousness, and a little bit more willingness to take feedback.” The program gives students a community in which to take those risks. Older performers mentor younger ones, teachers join warmups and model creative courage, and every contribution matters, from a leading role to a first step onto the stage. Families and staff help build sets, organize costumes, and support performances. Students participate for free, giving them access to an arts experience that can otherwise cost families hundreds of dollars. “If students don’t have access to high-quality arts programs, we can’t say that we’re living up to the promise of helping them become the best versions of themselves,” Cognato said. Through drama, students see new possibilities for themselves. They learn that school can be a place where they are actors, singers, dancers, designers, technicians, and leaders. They find new ways to understand academic content and new reasons to believe in their own abilities. As the program enters its fifth year, Cognato, Blake, and their colleagues hope to create more opportunities for students to lead and perform. Whatever comes next, the principle remains: when students bring their ideas and talents to the stage, the answer should be yes.

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