About Alaska Junior Theatre

Alaska Junior Theater is a private, nonprofit organization that has been bringing the best in professional theater from around the world to Alaska’s young audiences since 1981. Each year, more than 40,000 students attend a variety of live performances, which share the common educational goal of “bringing learning to life.” For many students, AJT’s school-time presentations are their only exposure to the performing arts.

Supporting Education

Each show we present has a strong educational theme. Our shows are often able to inspire many students who cannot be reached in a more traditional classroom setting. Teachers also rely on our study guides to prepare their students for what they will see and to create classroom projects in history, social studies, geography, science and other fields. To augment our performances, we offer teacher and student performing arts workshops and master classes whenever they are available.

Building a Stronger Community

AJT is committed to building a stronger community by presenting programs that offer different cultural perspectives to Alaska’s children—thereby expanding their horizons, opening new worlds of insight into other cultures, and inspiring them to work towards overcoming barriers. We also offer a public family series, allowing all members of the family to enjoy high-quality entertainment together.

Strengthening Partnerships Throughout Alaska

AJT is strengthening partnerships to bring theater, music and dance performances to young people and families in smaller Alaskan communities. For the 2017-2018 Season, AJT will build upon its relationships with rural school districts, cultural organizations and Alaska Native regional and village corporations to help support possible performances to other towns around the state.

Creating Accessibility

AJT is committed to keeping ticket prices low, allowing children of all financial levels to attend a professional theater experience. Our low educational ticket price of $8 in Anchorage includes not only a performance, but also bus transportation for students and teachers to and from the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. This price covers half our costs of presenting the shows. To subsidize the remaining $8 of each ticket, we actively fundraise and rely on the support of corporations, foundations and individuals with a strong community spirit to provide scholarship support. In addition, we fundraise to offer full scholarships, at $15 each, to students with financial need.

Since our inception, we have presented the best in the performing arts to more than 900,000 children and parents. In recognition of our extensive educational and arts outreach activities, Alaska Junior Theater was awarded the School Business Partnership Star Executive Award in 2013, the Governor’s Award for Arts Education in 2001 and the 2009 Mayor’s Arts Award for Outstanding Arts Organization.