http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6b07f693ed4544c481fed32c1d368a93/juveniles-sentenced-shakespeare-worlds-stage
A theater in Massachusetts works with the courts to sentence juveniles to perform in their theater by playing roles in Shakespeare plays by memorizing their lines, contributing ideas to costume and set, and performing in front of family and court personnel. Their collaboration with juveniles is intended to boost self-confidence and increase literacy. Participants also end the program with a sense of accomplishment as well as new friends. Programs like these help juveniles foster a sense of commitment, pride, and respect by getting youth to open up about themselves, sharing feelings with each other, and eventually working up towards working in groups. Many courts across the U.S. are adopting Shakespeare programs for youth offenders in order to teach these valuable lessons.
I love this concept! This is such a productive way to help these teens change their lifestyles and potentially discover unknown talent! I was thinking that this could also be a pull for arts in general. Schools are wanting to pull programs like theater and band so they can invest in "more important" things, but this program could be a more realistic indicator that students need art programs. Great article!
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing idea! I love that their not putting people in jail or just making them do community service. I think that schools should also adopt this concept, instead of kicking kids out.
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