Professional teaching artists from the Alliance Theatre provided acting workshops for students in the Fayette County School System’s After School Program (ASP) at Cleveland Elementary.
The workshops were made possible through a three-year grant the school system has with the Woodruff Arts Center to bring more fine arts learning opportunities to both students and teachers. Now in the second year of implementation, this is the first time the Woodruff Arts Center has held workshops for ASP students.
The ASP at Cleveland Elementary was the first to experience the professional acting classes. ASP students at Robert J. Burch Elementary and Oak Grove Elementary will have classes in the coming weeks, with plans to offer the workshops at all 14 ASPs by the end of the school year.
“This is a perfect example of the enriching activities that we offer in ASP,” said Sharon Walters, coordinator of the Fayette County After School Program. “Our students’ learning is extended beyond the school day with fun activities like this one.”
Some students may have discovered a newfound passion for acting. Cleveland Elementary fifth-grader Jaidyn Jones said she learned that she liked acting, and second-grader Aliyah Montgomery said that she learned to use her voice, body and imagination by playing acting games with the artists.
The Alliance Theatre classes being held this month coincide with the national after-school awareness campaign called “Lights on After School.” The purpose of the campaign is to bring attention to the benefits of quality after-school programs, and the resources required to keep them going.
The school system’s ASP operates in all 14 elementary schools, offering programs at the school site until 6:30 p.m. each school day. The program is self-supporting through parent fees, scholarships and grants. It provides enriching activities and academic support to students from kindergarten to fifth grade. Contact Donna Flanders for more information at 770-460-3990, ext. 256.
