Performing Arts from the Heart

why it's important:

In Fall 2005, I decided to use my bat mitzvah gifts to create a non-profit organization dedicated to the delivery of after-school theatre programs to students who could not otherwise afford them. With the help of a family lawyer, I created a non-profit corporation and titled it “Performing Arts from the Heart”.

During the 2005-06 school year, my eighth grade year, Performing Arts from the Heart established and sponsored half-year programs at two elementary schools in New Rochelle, New York. These programs were well received and inspired us to continue our work.

With that success, we decided to take the program to an urban setting where there would be even greater density of need. Beginning with the 2006-07 school year, an after-school theatre program was established at Public School 57 (PS 57), whose students come from low-income families in the East Harlem neighborhood.

In the Harlem program, for each of the past three years, a group of middle school students (grades 6, 7 and 8) have been chosen to participate in an after-school program from 3:30-5:30 on Mondays and six additional Saturday sessions from 12-4. The first half of the year is devoted to teaching the students theater techniques, which leads to the development of the end-of-year performance. The final show includes songs and monologues, some of which are written by the kids themselves. For example, last year’s program was titled “The Hero Through Time: Monologues, Scenes and Songs of the Sung and Unsung Heroes.” Each year, the work has been shared with the 800 students at Public School 57 and "encore" performances have been held for students in neighboring middle schools and for adults at community events.

In parallel to the experiences we are delivering at Public School 57, I am leading a formal scientific research study on the effects of after-school theatre programs on low-income adolescents. This is part of a Original Science Research program at my high school. Over the past three years, I have collected and analyzed scholarly research in this field and have established an active dialogue with a several of the authors (including Professors of Social Work/Policy at Columbia University, the University of Illinois-Urbana, Lehman College/City University and New York University). This school year, I am measuring, through quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews, social and academic progress made by participants in this year's Public School 57 program (as well as a control group) and will be presenting the results of my study in Fall 2009.

the plan of action:

Over the past four years, I have led fundraising and operations for Performing Arts from the Heart.

To date, we have raised over $30,000. I used my bat mitzvah gifts as "seed money", which allowed us to deliver our first programs in New Rochelle, New York. At the end of the school year, I wrote a letter describing our work and sent it to family and friends. I was pleased (and a little overwhelmed) by the generous response -- it was clear at that point that people wanted to see the work continue! I have continued the same pattern the past two years -- at the end of each year's program, I have reported on our success and launched a fundraising drive for the coming year. This past year, I extended the fundraising to include corporate donors, which has turned out to be a very effective strategy.

The operations of Performing Arts from the Heart are largely centered around hiring and managing (a) the theatre educators who deliver the school-based programming and (b) our relationship with the school and its students. Towards these ends, I attend and lend an extra hand at rehearsals, make sure that additional resources are provided along the way (such as copies of scripts, snacks for the kids, etc.), draft and make copies of schedules and letters to parents, etc. Near the end of each school year, as the performances draw near, there are a host of performance-related tasks that need to be done, including making sure there are sufficient technical resources (working sound and lights), a stage manager and tech person, management of logistics with the school, etc.

What kind of impact have we made?

> We have created a model for afterschool theatre programming that has helped students, teachers, parents and administrators to recognize and appreciate its benefits. I am hoping that the academic research that I am leading will codify these benefits, which will allow us to support the rationale for extending these kinds of programs to more kids in more places.

> Over 1,500 students in the Harlem community have attended our performances. Our hope is that this example of student creativity and achievement has been an inspiration to students, teachers and administrators.

> And most important is the impact on participants in the program. Students who started the program with low self-esteem who seemingly transformed before our eyes. Students who came to realize and appreciate the creative spark that lies within themselves. Students who gained incremental self-confidence and support for the argument that "hard work pays off".

Over the past four years, Performing Arts from the Heart has “proven a model”. We have made a meaningful difference the lives of our student participants. We have demonstrated to our audiences the power and potential of creativity and hard work.

how you can get involved:

If you live outside the NYC area, you can visit our website at www.performingartsfromtheheart.org to learn more about our work (info on how to share financial support is also on the site!). I would be glad to share our experience with anyone who might want to start a similar program, feel free to email me at halliegreenberg@gmail.com.

If you live in the NYC area, we can always use an extra pair of hands at rehearsals and especially during the performances.

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