Central 9th Youth Coalition
A collaborative community initiative dedicated to reducing the risk of drug use, suicide, and violence alongside Salt Lake City youth.
LEARN MOREPOPS
IN-SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Schedule a free assembly or in-class workshop for your school as part of the state-funded initiative: Professional Outreach Programs in Schools. We travel across Utah to bring media arts to students where they are.
Setting a national standard
How Utah Has Led the Nation in Arts Education For Over 50 Years
In 1969, the Utah Legislature made a bold commitment: that every student in the state deserved access to professional arts education, regardless of where they lived. That vision became POPS—the Professional Outreach Programs in Schools—and today it stands as the only statewide program of its kind in the nation. Through 15 arts organizations, 107 unique programs, and all five Fine Arts disciplines, POPS reaches every school district in Utah every year, from metropolitan centers to rural towns, indigenous communities, and historically underserved populations.
No other state has built anything like it.
Today, Spy Hop is proud to be one of the 15 professional arts organizations bringing free assemblies and classroom workshops to schools across the state. With hands-on programming in filmmaking, podcasting, game design, animation, and beatmaking—delivered by our professional teaching artists to 8,000+ students annually—Spy Hop brings the same rigorous, equitable model that has defined POPS for generations into the creative careers of tomorrow.
WHAT POPS MEANS FOR YOU AND YOUR SCHOOL
School Activations:
Assemblies, workshops, outreach, career presentations
Professional Mentors Teaching:
Animation, Game Design, Filmmaking, Beatmaking, Podcasting
Additional Resources:
Online resources for educators and curious learners
In-school partners
Bear River High School
Garland, UT
Scholar Academy
Tooele, UT
American Fork Junior HIgh
American Fork, UT
Longview Elementary
Murray, UT
Piute High School
Junction, UT
Salt Lake Arts Academy
Salt Lake City, UT
Grantsville Elementary
Grantsville, UT
East High School
Salt Lake City, UT
West Hills Middle School
Salt Lake City, UT
Oscarson Elementary
Marysvale, UT
ART SHOP COURSES
coming soon
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Professional Outreach Program in the Schools (POPS), managed by the Utah State Board of Education and sponsored by the Utah State Legislature, supports arts education in Utah’s public schools by bringing professional arts organizations’ educational programs to schools for free or subsidized costs. The goal is to connect schools, teachers, administrators and students with high quality arts learning experiences with professional artists. POPS supports the state’s core arts standards by providing arts education opportunities to all Utah schools.
Learn more at schools.utah.gov
To set up a field trip at Spy Hop, please fill out this form to get in touch with our team.
A field trip includes a tour of our facility, with information about our programs. We also would be glad to set up a career presentation or short workshop* with one of our teaching artists. Field trips typically take about an hour.
*Workshops have capacity limits, but we will do our best to accommodate your group
Spy Hop can bring assemblies, workshops, career presentations and tabling to schools statewide. Our in-school offerings focus on the media arts, including podcasting, filmmaking, beatmaking, video game design, comics, animation, and so much more.
Our team of professional teaching artists can bring workshops, career presentations, or come table during your in-school event. Fill out this form to get in touch with our statewide programming team.
Yes, we table at Career Days and STEM Fairs. Fill out this form to get in touch with our statewide programming team.
resources
measuring our impact
To keep improving our media arts programs, we need to know what’s working. Student reflections and basic demographic data help us see how youth are building skills like critical thinking, teamwork, and technical know-how.
This information also helps us keep our programs accessible. Many grants and partners ask us to report who we serve and what impact we’re making, so we can keep bringing high-quality media arts to your classroom.
Utah's professional outreach program
Learn more about Professional Outreach Programs in Schools (POPS) and the other Utah organizations involved.
ALL WORKSHOP OPTIONS
- Filmmaking
- Beatmaking
- Stop Motion Animation
- Game Design
Materials Needed: (Depends on Type of Workshop)
- Internet Access
- Computer or Smartphone
- Paper and Pen
- Construction Paper & Basic Craft Supplies
explore other community programs
Community Partnerships
Learn how Spy Hop can bring our media arts program directly to you, to help your students find their voice and tell their stories.
LEARN MOREVoices of the West
Immersive, week-long filmmaking workshops in rural and indigenous areas of Utah, elevating the voices and ideas of young people, and celebrating what makes their communities unique.
LEARN MOREYouth In Care
Our Youth in Care programs bring media arts education to young people in foster care, residential treatment, secure care facilities, and state custody, meeting them where they are.
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