If your summer experience has been similar to mine, you’ve probably said to yourself “I can’t believe it’s already August”. We have 2 ½ weeks left of summer camps, and so far we have served almost 250 children. This morning as I was reflecting on everything we’ve accomplished so far this summer, I realized something interesting.
This summer, we have granted nearly $6,000 in scholarships. This money has gone to aid 25 students who would otherwise not have been able to spend time with us, acting, playing, learning and growing. 25 kids who are learning to love the arts, possibly future actors and definitely future theatre aficionados.
Taproot’s mission is to be a theatre of hope and we feel that the $6,000 we were able to offer in scholarships this year is a crucial piece of living our mission. Being able to share something with a child who otherwise may not have the opportunity is cause for celebration and a vital part of who we are as a company.
The number 6,000 is also significant because this is almost the exact amount of money we have left to earn this summer to make our budgeted goal. We may not make our summer goal, but when we reported this in company meeting, the “6,000” that we all were amazed by was the $6,000 we’ve given away and not the $6,000 we need to earn. As a theatre, we are constantly trying to balance artistic risk with financial prudence, and in this case we know that the work we do with students is worth the risk. Taproot’s studio did something significant with our summer – 25 kids were allowed access to the arts, engaged with and cared for by fantastic teaching artists and Taproot staff.
Our blog is filled with stories of ways students have been impacted, but here is one more that we feel demonstrates our commitment to our mission. One of our scholarship recipients this summer last took a class at Taproot in January 2011. In the letter his mom wrote to us, she said “He really had such a positive experience at his class…every time we drive by the theatre he asks when he gets to return.” Imagine loving something so much that for 7 months all you think about is when you have the opportunity to do it again! Through our commitment to making discounted tuition available, he was able to return this summer. As his mom made clear in her letter, it’s not just about being on stage. She writes “it really gives him self-confidence and strengthens his sense of working with others.” This is the story we are writing in the lives of our students.
To hear more stories like this, please attend our 2011 Studio Fundraiser on August 28, 2011 at 5:00pm. This evening will present some of the best performances from our summer and give our parents and patrons the chance to hear about the myriad of ways the Acting Studio changes lives every day.
Sara K. Willy
Director of Education
