The thing that makes Magic Box special is that they really listen...
to students, educators, and parents.

Our Vision

Founded in 2004 by documentary filmmaker and Executive Director Nelle Stokes, Magic Box Productions is an award-winning nonprofit that provides exemplary media arts workshops that help students bridge the digital divide. We provide rich experiences for all ages, especially younger and beginning language learners, and are well known for our dedication to customizing each residency for the needs of participating schools. 

Magic Box teaching artists come into the classroom to help students create photography, video, animation, audio, and web-based projects while building critical 21st century skills. 

Partnering with schools in the New York City area, we have provided more than 18,000 students, teachers, and parents with opportunities for creative expression, community and cultural connections, and access to new technologies. In a variety of hands-on media arts workshops, student participants have explored their lives and community, chronicled school and community events, and told their own original stories.    

The heart of our vision is to develop visual and digital literacy from a crucial early age. Through our residencies, students gain skills in technology, problem solving and teamwork. Magic Box workshops also foster creativity and enhance academic success, harnessing the power of media arts and technology to heighten students’ engagement, ultimately making them more active learners. 

Classroom teachers appreciate the deep partnerships they forge with our teaching artists, who introduce them to new instructional methods, materials, and evaluation tools. 

All our residencies are designed to accommodate a particular school’s needs. Students have created multimedia presentations combining animation, dance, and poetry; videos documenting their science experiments; photo exhibitions reflecting their families and surroundings; and much more.