“Word for Word makes visible the otherwise invisible process of literary interpretation which happens in the minds of most competent readers.” -Christine Cziko, co-author of Reading for Understanding in Middle and High School Classrooms: A Reading Apprenticeship Guide(1999)

Youth Arts and What We Do
The Youth Arts Education Program touches hundreds of youth and adults annually with unique educational programming using the same methods used by the Word for Word Performing Arts Company in development, rehearsal and performance of their productions.

Like a Word for Word show, each Youth Arts project begins with fiction or poetry rather than a traditional theater script. We specifically choose texts to align with the educational, interpersonal, and personal needs of students.  In exploring a text, students develop reading comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary skills, gain experience in working and problem solving in groups, and experience a kinesthetic and visual connection to text. By helping youth become better listeners, speakers and readers, Youth Arts aims to instill a love of language and reading, enhance performance skills and bolster confidence and self esteem in the classroom and beyond.

For more information about our process, please visit the PROGRAMS section.

History
Youth Arts began as a program of Word for Word Performing Arts Company. In addition to performing literature as theater for adult audiences, Word for Word produced a School and Library tour series which reached roughly 20,000 students per year over ten years.  Occasionally during that time, Word for Word was asked to lead workshops in their methods for students and educators.  As time went on, Word for Word formed a discrete program to focus on students, called Youth Arts, to produce the School and Library Tour and to facilitate workshops and residencies with students.  In 2008, Youth Arts decided to streamline its resources to focus on workshops and residencies, working with fewer students, but giving all participants a deeper connection to the Word for Word style and process. 

Over the years, we have developed relationships with schools, educators and students of all ages, from elementary school on up, even connecting with students from Stanford and other college programs.  We are very proud of the broad range of students that have participated in our Youth Arts programming, and they are all part of our Youth Arts History.

Outcomes of the program
We have seen that performing literature, exactly as the author chose to put the words together, gives students great insight into an author’s intentions, as well as into language in general.  When a student is given the responsibility of acting out a word or phrase, she is entering the text, discovering it in a deeply visceral way, understanding its meaning(s), and experiencing the thrill of communicating physically, vocally and linguistically. Through this unique approach, students can spark connections with literature and reading while also learning to think critically, work as a team, and express their own voices.

At the end of a workshop or residency, students fill out evaluations of the experience, asking them to rate themselves in a few key areas, as well as to discover how effectively they learn about skills such as empathy, confidence, and the relevance of literary situations to their personal lives. Many students have attested to becoming more involved with the literature, finding learning fun and understanding the importance of co-operative work in theater.To hear what students, classroom teachers and teaching artists have to say, please visit the TESTIMONIALS section

Word for Word Youth Arts Program is supported by the California Arts Council, the Sam Mazza Foundation, the Bill Graham Supporting Foundation, the Bothin Foundation, the Creative Capacity Fund, the Walter and Elise Haas Fund and many additional generous individuals.

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