Liberty Theatre At-Risk Youth Initiative, Columbus, Georgia

The Liberty Theatre Cultural Center Youth Academy will provide services to children between the ages of 5 -18. The academy is open to everyone in the community; however the majority of the participants are African Americans that fall in the low to middle socio-economic level. The activities that will be offered through the academy include theatrical performances; piano, dance, and drama/theatre classes; summer camps; a tutorial program; youth leadership program; and a communications/media training and marketing program. The goals of the academy include: (1) Increasing the awareness of career options and provide guidance in setting goals, (2) Inspiring a vision of a safer, healthier, and more productive life, (3) Improving school attendance and performance, (4) Increasing positive interactions with adults, (5) Reducing the number of children that abuse substances, and (6) Decreasing juvenile delinquency. The success of the academy will be measured by utilizing pre and post surveys, surveys from teachers and surveys from parents.

NCA/NCF