EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

The Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) selected Acting Out” the arts education partnership developed by All The World’s A Stage with Maple Lane Elementary School, as one of 32 Education Excellence Award winners for exemplary programs. The award was presented at the MASB Awards Luncheon in East Lansing, and received Legislative Tribute at the State Capitol."

Artists and teachers for the “Acting Out” partnership have also been selected as presenters three years running at the Council for Exceptional Children’s annual education conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

NEW PARTNERS

All The World's A Stage is pleased to welcome three new partners for the 2006 - 2007 year. In our efforts to increase our regional impact, the below listed programs have been developed in the City of Detroit:

Detroit Public Schools - Atkinson Elementary School: In school Artist-In-Residence Partnership, Grades K - 5, full academic year.

Boll Family YMCA: Creative Drama Workshop (Ages 3 - 5): Creative Drama Workshop (Ages 6 - 12): Theatre Improvisation Workshop (Ages 13 - 17).

City Mission: Drama workshop for City Mission Mentoring program.

PROGRAM EXPANSION

The success of the “Acting Out” arts education partnership at Maple Lane Elementary School has resulted in the expansion of program services earlier than anticipated.

Bozymowski & Rockwell Junior High School: All The World’s A Stage will begin expansion of arts education programming through the “Acting Out” partnership. Having established a four-year history at the elementary school level the junior high school students have been exposed to drama as an art discipline and are prepared for review and expansion of the Michigan Curriculum Framework’s educational objectives, grades 7 - 9, Strand III (Theatre) of the Fine Arts curriculum.

In September and October, theatre artists will participate in a district wide in-service training to introduce the program development. This presentation follows preliminary planning meetings with school administrators this past summer.

DRAMA THERAPY PROGRAM

All The World’s A Stage recently completed their pilot Drama Therapy program in partnership with the Macomb County Juvenile Court and the Macomb County Juvenile Justice Center. Macomb County Juvenile Court Therapist Jeff Gruber, and ATWAS staff members Lisa Dobbin and Lou Fazzini provided programming for a long-term incarcerated youth population over a 10-month period. Introducing the participants to drama as an art form, then applying the drama skills in a therapeutic setting the program was designed to address the concepts of self-confidence, self-exploration, and self-expression in relation to positive social change. Presently, we are in the program’s evaluation and assessment phase. Preliminary findings have shown the project to have significant positive impact on the project participants. The program received funding from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts.