About Sitar Arts Center
At Sitar Arts Center, students engage in affordable, high-quality education and workforce development in the visual, digital, and performing arts. Our mission is to engage DC youth, from early childhood to young adulthood, in building a creative community of learning and belonging that removes financial and cultural barriers to arts education and career training.
Sitar was founded on the belief that every child deserves access to quality arts education, regardless of cultural and financial barriers. Our programming is offered on a sliding-fee scale, where 80% of enrollment is reserved for families with low income, defined as 60% or less of DC’s median income. With our increasing alumni base, Sitar has also chosen to invest in career training so young people of all ages can chart their own pathways to success. For more information on Sitar Arts Center, visit our main site.
“Taking classes at Sitar has given me an opportunity to explore different areas of the arts that I would not have had a chance to at school. The drive to explore new things has influenced me to pick the major I am studying today.”
—Sitar Alum
Our Reach & Impact
80% of children & youth are from households with low income.
900 students from birth through young adulthood access programs at Sitar Arts Center across the year.
Sitar focuses on families from historically under invested communities in Wards 1, 4, and 5.
(Data from 5 year average)
Demographic breakdown for 5-year average of Sitar students.
Excelling In School, Career, & Beyond
Multi-Year External Evaluation Trends Of Sitar Students
Students demonstrate the highest level of competency in communication and collaboration skills at program end.
Students demonstrate most significant improvement in skills of critical and creative thinking from start to finish.
Returning summer interns demonstrate higher competency in workplace skills than first-time interns.
100% of Sitar seniors graduate from high school.
Alumni point to academic achievement, skills development & exposure, and civic engagement as long-term outcomes.
Learn More About Sitar
To learn more about Sitar Arts Center, visit www.sitarartscenter.org
