Project SUCCESS

[pegkerr]

Now here is a really cool idea and a great organization.

I've noticed a post card coming in the mail every month or so ever since Fiona started high school from an organization called "Project SUCCESS." I noted vaguely that it said something about theater tickets (this was still during the layoff; how could I afford to go to the theater?) and pitched it without really looking at it the first few times it came in.

Then a couple of months ago, Fiona mentioned that a friend of hers had an extra theater ticket to a play and invited her along. When she got home, I said casually that it was awfully nice of Maren to pay for a ticket for her.

"Oh, Maren got the ticket for free, through Project SUCCESS."

Project SUCCESS? Wasn't that the organization I'd just seen on the post card on the other day?

So the next time it came in, I looked, really looked at the post card. It was offering free theater tickets to children and their parents. All you had to do was call. For real?

I took note of the two shows and got excited. One was The Triangle Factory Fire Project, being put on by the Minnesota Jewish Theater Company, an organization I'd never heard of before. Why, Fiona did her National History Day project on the Triangle fire a couple of years ago; she'd love to see that! And the other show was Romeo and Juliet, put on by Bedlam Theater. I'd never seen anything by them, either, but hey, it's Shakespeare, and both of the girls loved the Zeffirelli movie. So I picked up the phone and called and was told by the friendly person on the other end that tickets would be set aside for us for each show. Absolutely free. "Do you need transportation or child care?" she asked. "That's provided, too."

You're kidding. As it turns out I don't, but they provide transportation and childcare? That's amazing.

And on Wednesday, I got a friendly follow up call the day before the show, reminding us that we had the tickets waiting for us at the box office, and giving us directions on how to get to the theater, and again checking as to whether we needed transportation or childcare. That was a very nice touch, too, I thought.

We went to see The Triangle Factory Fire Project last night, inviting Fiona's friend Sydney along (she'd done the project with Fiona). The Star Tribune's review was right; it was really an excellent show. So now I've been introduced to a new theater company I didn't know about before, and I'm looking forward to seeing the Bedlam show tomorrow. On the ride home, Fiona talked more about Project SUCCESS. "They come into the classrooms once a month, and do these really fun exercises, to help you figure out and follow your dreams. Our facilitator's awesome." (There's that word again.)

"I remember now," I said. "You told me about it; you did that exercise where you talked about wanting to become a sensei some day, and you and your group brainstormed about what intermediary steps you needed to take to reach that goal. I didn't realize that was Project SUCCESS."

So I went to the Project Success website this morning and learned more. I am really impressed.

We realize the teenage years are critical ones for every young person. That is why our program is designed to serve each student for six years--from middle school through high school. The program is comprised of these components: Goal-Setting Workshops in the Classroom, Theater Experiences, One-on-One Assistance, College Tours and Special Programming. All components work within the Project SUCCESS philosophy, which is to provide a non-judgmental, supportive setting where students can speak out and be heard, and where they learn to assess themselves and their options regarding their future. All program components are designed to help your student gain confidence in creative thinking, decision making, goal setting and resourcefulness while developing the skills to plan their future.

School-based Workshops

Our staff of professional facilitators lead workshops based on specifically-designed curricula developed for each grade level. Working together with teachers and school administrators, our curriculum has become an integral part of English/Language Arts classes, ensuring that our program reaches each child in every school. Students participate in a workshop once a month for a total of eight workshop experiences per student, per year.

The curriculum guides young people through a variety of unique exercises, experiences and discussions to help them look at their interests, their strengths and desires for the future. We then work with them to set specific goals and take particular steps towards those goals. We call this process "dreaming with your eyes open," and 90% of participating students report taking a positive step toward achieving their goals.

Theater Experiences

We believe in the power of theater to illuminate the world. We use professional theater as a springboard to inspire students and to help them look at the real issues they face. With the help of 26 professional theater partners, we offer students and their families the opportunity to attend between six and twelve theater experiences a year. These are not school field trips, but tickets to evening and weekend performances. We work with theaters to choose the appropriate plays, we coordinate every element of the experience including providing transportation and childcare, and facilitate post-play discussions with the performers and directors.

One-on-One Assistance, College Tours and Special Programming

High school students need attention and assistance planning for their future. So we offer a one-on-one counseling program in after-school sessions. Our facilitators help students with reviewing and filling out applications for college or financial aid, finding job opportunities and seeking the resources necessary to make life after high school a positive, productive experience.

State and national college tours are an important part of this one-on-one assistance. Each year, Project SUCCESS staff take over 500 high school students on in- and out-of-state college tours.

Other specialized programming we offer includes: 1) Project SUCCESS produced musicals and performances; 2) summer trips to the BWCA; 3) all-school field trips to the theater; and 4) Special Artist Residency programs.

Project SUCCESS offers students the opportunity to:

• Learn about themselves;

• Expand their horizons through theater, meeting new people and being exposed to key resources;

• Create a work plan for their life in and out of high school;

• Share memories and new experiences with their families;

• Connect with a caring, skilled and supportive facilitator who can mentor and guide them to helping set and carry out their goals;

• Take part in activities (theater, workshops, after-school guidance sessions) that lead to increased engagement in school; and

• Participate in a program whose only focus is to help them succeed.

You'd better believe I'll be watching for their postcards in the future. This sounds like a totally cool organization.

I might look into seeing if I can volunteer somehow. *Sigh* In my copious spare time.