Author: Rebecca Joseph and Rachel Estrella

Publication Year:

Media Type: Report

Summary:

Case studies of adolescents from low-income communities in an after-school arts program that builds decision-making skills and identity development.

Abstract:

Inside Out Arts (Inside Out) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing middle school youth with opportunities to explore their worlds and their identities through interactive drama and other arts disciplines. Since 1996 the program has run an after-school effort, The School Project, for approximately 90 to 100 students per year from three schools that represent the diversity of the Los Angeles Unified School District.ﾝ

The participating students, many of whom are low-income children of color, have few chances to engage in high-quality after-school programming. While in Inside Out, these students participate in five months of weekly class sessions, a three-day retreat, and final production of mini-plays created by teams of students and mentor-artists. The programs curriculum includes traditional theater preparation, improvisational theater games, guided imagery, voice, movement, music, photography, visual arts, story telling, and writing. This program attempts to make this adolescence less lonely and less challenging for urban youth by providing them with tools to help them make decisions. Specifically, Inside Out enables students to experiment and to role-play in safe, nurturing environments.

This study is a compilation of program participant case narratives, intending to reveal the complexities of how the program impacts students, particularly in the realm of identity.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Arts Education