THE YOUNG SHAKESPEAREANS: Community Transformation through Arts Education

K-12 STEAM education

South LA Central LA East LA San Fernando Valley

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

TYS addresses a persistent/systemic issue in LAUSD's historically marginalized neighborhoods: the lack of access to high-quality theatre arts education despite its transformational impact on literacy, critical thinking, social-emotional growth, communication skills, & confidence.
TYS programs are delivered on-site at underserved school campuses eliminating transportation costs & safety concerns for parents, keeping families, teachers, & surrounding communities involved & invested while providing excellence. Final performances are neighborhood celebrations where student voices & achievement take center stage.
TYS leads our students to discover, develop, & share their talent, passion, & smarts with each other & the broader community. As our Founder says, “It's a practical as well as a moral imperative — LA's future needs the collaborative spirit, creativity, & drive of as many artists, activists, & leaders as possible.”
https://vimeo.com/1039038803
https://vimeo.com/1090354551/ba6def0f65

This grant will support the expansion of TYS’ proven “Neighborhood Pipeline” model—an immersive, multi-year journey providing a consistent thread of theatre arts education from Elementary through High School, with age-tailored programming at every stage.
2nd/3rd graders are introduced to Shakespeare through theatre games, physical storytelling, & auditory & written learning challenges. 4th/5th graders explore the underlying themes, develop characters, & perform in full costume on sets in Elizabethan English. In Middle School, those themes are explored through both historical & contemporary lenses, with introductions to Production Design & Technical Arts. In high school, TYS students perform, design & fabricate scenics/costumes/lighting/sound as they Earn+Learn thru LA City Workforce contracts, & serve as paid TYS Teaching Assistants & Crew as they mentor younger students at other TYS Partner Schools in their neighborhood.
The impact is impressive & lasting. In this Spring's Workforce program at Orthopaedic Medical Magnet High School, 25% of students had been in TYS in Elementary &/or Middle School. This summer 7 are on our payroll, & 12 are serving as volunteers at another TYS Partner School. This long-term engagement reflects sustained interest, as well as the peer relationships and collaborative growth our model fosters.
In TYS, students discover resilience, agency, & the power of their voices while becoming capable, creative, connected, & ready to serve their community.

We envision an LA where every child—regardless of ZIP code—has sustained access to high-impact arts education rooted in the broad learning opportunities of classical theatre. Through our South LA pipeline model, we’ve proven that when students are given consistent, culturally responsive opportunities to perform, lead, & express themselves, transformation follows.
As TYS successfully scales this model across more communities, LA will see a new generation of students who will lead with deep confidence, empathy, & creative agency. Schools will become cultural hubs where Shakespeare is reimagined by students in their own voices.
By 2028, we aim to establish 3 additional pipelines, create additional, powerful collaborations, promote our documentary, & in doing so, continue to uplift educational outcomes, redefine who gets to lead & tell the stories that will shape LA’s cultural future, & bridge the silos that perpetuate the inaccurate perceptions & expectations of the communities we serve.