Free after-school arts program expands for Prince George's students

Dozens of William Beanes Elementary students in Suitland were slated to get a free after-school arts program that school leaders said could help with more than creativity. The classes at 5108 Dianna Drive were aimed at giving children a structured place to go after the 7:30 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. school day, a gap that matters for working families trying to cover the hours before pickup.

Joe’s Movement Emporium, the Brentwood nonprofit behind the effort, was running the program with federal grant support awarded to the organization. Prince George’s County Public Schools said the expanded arts programming was intended to boost literacy, communication and student attendance, tying the arts directly to academic goals rather than treating them as an extra.

The school’s own profile shows why that focus hit home in Suitland. William Beanes is a Title I school, and the Maryland State Department of Education identified it in 2025 as an Additional Targeted Support and Improvement school because English learner and special education students did not meet academic targets in English language arts and math. In an August 5, 2025 welcome letter, the principal said the school was working to reduce chronic absenteeism.

Joe’s Movement Emporium said its partner-school arts clubs usually offer dance, theater and vocals one to two times a week and end with a performance. That model gives students a regular routine, a built-in audience and time with instructors who can keep them engaged outside the classroom, an important piece in a community where dismissal comes early and after-school supervision can be hard to secure.

The county has also been treating after-school time as a policy issue, not just a family convenience. Prince George’s County describes its enrichment programs as a structured, supervised setting that includes arts activities, and PGCPS said in 2024 that chronic absenteeism had been declining. Maryland lawmakers added to that push in 2025 by creating a task force to improve attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism.

For Suitland and the broader Greater Suitland area, the new program carried a simple promise: free, nearby enrichment at a school where attendance, support and academic recovery all remain part of the same challenge.