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the need |
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The Need
The benefit and need for extra-curricular and arts programming for students, particularly at-risk students, is well known. According to the U.S. Department of Education, students who attend high quality after school programs fair better in school, relate better to peers and have lower incidences of drug use, violence and pregnancy. In New York City where only one in two high school students graduate in four years and nearly a third of students drop out, the need for programs that empower students and make learning exciting is great. Sadly, it is the city’s worst performing schools that have the greatest shortage of extra-curricular programming.
The budgetary pressures exist for all New York City public schools; when the state and city are forced to cut back in education spending, extra-curricular and arts programming are the first to be cut. This year’s budget cuts are unique—a combination of continued shortages from Albany, city funds directed toward No Child Left Behind compliance and the development of smaller high schools—but they share the same impact on arts and enrichment programming as past cycles of cuts.
There are other organizations who work to provide after school programming for NYC’s public schools, but few who offer the unique combination of qualities Opening Act provides. According to the Department of Education, of the 56 theater arts education organizations that worked with the DOE in 2001, 15 reported offering after school programming at the schools. Only 7 of those 15 were reportedly long term, and of those only 1 offered their programming free.
Each year Opening Act outreaches to thirty schools that serve the city’s most at-risk students; with no greater outreach than a single letter, there are always more schools who request our programs than we can serve. Opening Act is out to fill that gap. Opening Act will continue to reach out to NYC’s most under-served public high schools. |
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Tesha, from Walton High School, performs at the Gene Frankel Theater in Manhattan. May 2004 |
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