Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Theatre Arlington receives grant from Union Pacific

By Pegasus News wire

Some folks may recall several years ago when Union Pacific launched an ad campaign themed “Building America.” Covering 23 states, and hauling such diverse commodities as chemicals, coal, food, grain, and many others for 140 years, Union Pacific truly has helped build this nation. In addition to the necessities they carry across the country, Union Pacific is also helping to build this country’s sense of community by supporting various non-profit organizations that provide vital skills and opportunities to local youth.

Theatre Arlington is a recent recipient of a $5,000 grant from Union Pacific to support the theatre’s ACT UPS program, a portion of TA’s extensive outreach program. ACT UPS (Applied Creative Thinking Using Performance Skills) is an exemplary program combining theatre games and acting exercises to help improve the self-esteem, confidence, problem-solving and life skills of inner city at-risk adolescents. Theatre Arlington currently partners with three Title 1 schools in the area and focuses on the fifth grade students at those schools. The ACT UPS teachers, Maggie Younkin and B.J. Cleveland, work closely with the school teachers to incorporate the school curriculum into the ACT UPS program, and the teachers in turn, participate by incorporating ACT UPS materials and activities into their daily lessons.

Union Pacific has a long-standing commitment to improve the quality of life in the communities they serve and where their employees live and work, and with the economy taking its toll on many businesses this year, funding from organizations such as UP is vital to a non-profit such as Theatre Arlington. And, funding for the ACT UPS program at TA is especially important when realizing the impact it has on childrens lives. Maggie Younkin sees a change in her students beginning the very first day of class. “At the beginning of the year, to stand up in front of a class and answer a simple question is intimidating to most of them. Some of them don’t speak any English. Then by the end of the year, they are standing up in front of their school, performing and delivering lines. It is a huge accomplishment for them,” observes Younkin, “and the confidence they gain is something that they will carry with them outside of theatre.”

Source: Theatre Arlington

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