"If I can do Shakespeare, I can do ANYTHING!"

Youth economic advancement

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

The Arts create unique, valuable connective tissue between the internal/intuitive self & external information, efficiently educating the mind/body/spirit & promoting shifts in self-esteem & social value (amongst classmates, teachers, family), and hope for the future.
School children in marginalized communities endure a lack of exposure to the arts, as well as the educational opportunities offered by well-developed, sustained arts programs. Some children perform well academically, but many do not. Many present as academically and/or behaviorally challenged because they learn differently than what standard classroom methods delivered by a 20:1 Teacher-to-Student ratio can provide.
Marginalized communities (often of color and/or immigrants) often endure low expectations/lack of investment from the broader, wealthier communities whose perceptions are borne of ignorance and/or click-bait, negative media. Lastly, LA's creative industries offer career paths that need to be accessible to all.

TYS is the ONLY organization delivering ON-SITE, after-school intensive theatre arts programs culminating in FULL-PRODUCTION STUDENT PERFORMANCES at public schools in Los Angeles' marginalized neighborhoods.
Our programs begin in 4th grade, continue through High School & beyond, and provide rigorous, formative, visual, auditory, and experiential learning experiences with progressively challenging subject matter in Performing Arts OnStage/BackStage, Shakespearean Sports, Production Design&Technical Arts, & Career Pathways (Earning&Learning).
Each Curriculum alchemizes academic and social-emotional challenges with the magic of theatre to capture and hold our students' interest while efficiently developing skills in literary/language arts, performing arts/public presentation, self-awareness/energy-management and physical competence. Independent and collaborative opportunities amongst peers promotes negotiation, persistence, and resilience.
Metrics report that TYS programs: Increase family access/student attendance/neighborhood pride/student compassion/self-awareness/social-emotional literacy; Promote cooperative participation of students/parents/school faculty & administrators/neighbors of all ages/socio-economic groups; elevate expectations of/for children, regardless of ethnicity/origin/native language/income level.

Since its inception, TYS has consistently proven that given the opportunity/exposure/proper support, children from marginalized/economically-challenged families/neighborhoods are eager/able to absorb, understand and impressively design and perform some of the most difficult, intimidating, and revered material in the English-speaking world.
LA is already different - TYS' founder conceived the program in 2010 with a vision of diversity/equity/inclusion that was considered idealistic but is now embedded in California State policy. TYS has remained ever-true to that vision, continually expanding programming, developing curriculum and program protocols to meet that goal. In order to expand service to additional schools, TYS became a fiscally-sponsored organization in 2019, innovated to continue program delivery all through pandemic lock-downs, and now has many alumni in the fold who powerfully manifest as leaders, in and outside of the arts, in their high school and college communities.

We measure impact:
Quantifiably - How many:
Students continue in TYS program each year
Sibling/cousins/friends follow into TYS program
Partner schools embed TYS program in their culture each year
Parents lobby for their child to be in TYS program
Alumni request that the middle or high school they attend next offer TYS
Qualifiably - Written surveys at Program beginning + end:
Classroom Teachers re: improved focus/concentration/participation/academic scores, awareness of self/others
Participating Students re: elevated confidence/curiosity/courage/agency
Student/TYS Teaching Artist Exit Interviews to assess/modify Curriculum.
Collaborations requested by Shakespeare Center, USC, UCLA.
Metrics consistently prove that we meet our mission, & that given the opportunity/exposure/proper support, children from marginalized/economically-challenged neighborhoods are eager/able to absorb/understand/impressively perform some of the most intimidating and revered material in the English-speaking world.