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Programs

Discover Art Free After-School Programs

Category: Arts, Culture & Humanities - General Arts Education
Beneficiaries: Children only (5-14 years); Poor/economically disadvantaged, indigent, general
Priority: 1
Budget: $350,000.00

Junior Players' Discover Art after-school programs give our youth a creative alternative to drugs, gangs and violence. Our free and accessible after-school programs utilize the arts to develop our young people's creative imaginations and intellect, expand communication skills and increase self-esteem. All of our classes are taught by professional artists who serve as caring instructors, mentors and role models. We offer classes in a variety of artistic disciplines such as Discover Theater, Discover Dance, Discover Art and Discover Music. During each school year, Junior Players will be conducting over 100 weekly after-school classes at 50 program sites serving almost 3,000 children ages 5 to 16, each semester. All of Junior Players' programs are tied into the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills requirements, offering expanded and sequential learning opportunities for the participants during the non-school hours.

Definition of long-term success:

To be in a financial position that will allow us to expand our after-school programs into more schools.
To grow the current level of programming so that we can offer more sequential learning opportunities for middle school and high school students.

Definition of short-term success:

To maintain our current level of alternative after-school programs for low-income youth.
To teach basic skills in a variety of artistic disciplines to children.
To increase language skills of children ages 6 to 14.
To increase reading comprehension in children ages 6 to 14.
To increase self-esteem and self-confidence in participants.
To provide access to the arts.

Success monitored by:

A questionnaire specifically designed for the program that is completed by all participants.
Site visits are made by Junior Players’ Education Specialist, Program Director or the Program Manager to insure guidelines and objectives for the program are being adhered to.

Evidence of success:

Programs continue and attendance increases. Participants show increased self-esteem and communication skills.