From left – Benjamin Bratt, CHIME Institute Executive Director Erin Studer and Amy Brenneman at last year’s CHIMEapalooza. Photo courtesy of the CHIME Institute.

Acclaimed actors Amy Brenneman, Benjamin Bratt, Tim Daly, Paul Adelstein and Muse Watson are hoping the magic of live theater and music can help transform the lives of the students in the CHIME Institute, which has extensive ties to California State University, Northridge.

The actors are joining dozens of other performers in the annual CHIMEapalooza to raise funds for the institute, which has been hailed as a national leader in the development and implementation of inclusive education—where children who develop typically, children with special needs and children who are gifted learn side by side.

CHIMEapalooza is scheduled to take place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, in the Plaza del Sol Performance Hall on the east side of the university campus off Zelzah Avenue.

“For the people that came last year, you know what a magical night it was, and we have plans to be even bigger and more inclusive and more exciting,” said Brenneman, one of the evening’s organizers. “For people who didn’t come last year, there is no place like the CHIME Institute. This is the night to celebrate the institute through music, drama and creativity that truly honors how unique a community we are.”

The evening will feature live musical performances and original theater. Tickets for the event are $100 per person and include a pre-show reception from 6 to 7 p.m. and a post-show party. To purchase tickets, visit the website www.CHIMEapalooza.org.

Established in 1990, the CHIME Institute is a national leader in developing and implementing model educational programs and dynamic research and training environments to disseminate best practices in inclusive education. The institute’s research and training center is housed in CSUN’s Michael D. Eisner College of Education.

The institute began with an early childhood education program based at Northridge. The success of that program, coupled with needs of the community and sound research, prompted a group of parents and CSUN faculty to develop a charter elementary school in 2001 and a charter middle school in 2003. The two schools were merged into a K-8 grade school in 2010.

Inclusive education at CHIME means that children who reflect the demographics of the surrounding region—including children who develop typically, children with special needs and children who are gifted—learn side by side. CHIME’s model allows for the individual needs of each child to be addressed in a manner that enhances each child’s strength, while also providing educational progress.

CHIME also serves as a model for educators through its partnerships with the Eisner College of Education and the Los Angeles Unified School District. It facilitates research opportunities and regularly hosts visitors from around the United States and as far away as Japan and the United Kingdom who are interested in replicating its successes in their own schools. The institute has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a model for full inclusion of students with disabilities and for providing a blueprint for local schools across the country.

Proceeds from CHIMEapalooza will go toward supporting inclusive practices in the institute’s educational programs and schools. For more information about the CHIME Institute, call (818) 677-4979 or (818) 346-5100 or visit its website www.chimeinstitute.org.

Arts and Culture, Education, Events, Michael D. Eisner College of Education