The Youth Theater Project (YTP) is a project of Mama Makeka House of Hope, a local non-profit organization, and McLane High School’s Medical Education and Research Academy program.

High schoolers from McLane High School meet every Tuesday from 4:30 to 6 pm to play theater games, do improvs, learn drama techniques, talk about literature and tell stories, and practice writing for performance with the final goal of creating and performing theater and reader’s theater productions for the community.

The project's goal is to use performance to positively impact students’ understanding of how conflict works in their own families, friendships, and across cultures so they can become advocates of nonviolence in the neighborhoods and communities of Fresno.

Additional project participants include members of the Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies (CPACS) and the School of Humanities, Religion, and the Social Sciences at Fresno Pacific University. The project is supported by a grant from Kaiser Permanente.

Opportunities to participate:

• Project Assistants are welcomed to help lead theater games, facilitate small group discussions of literature, and coach students in writing and developing performance material. Individuals gifted in any or all of these areas are welcome to contribute for a short or longer period of time.

• Drivers with cars are needed to transport students from McLane High School (at the Cedar & Clinton parking lot) to the MMHH offices at Ventura and R Streets (downtown, in the old Las Margaritas building). This is the only way many of these students will be able to participate in this project. Drivers must have proof of insurance and a valid California driver’s license.

If you would like to hear more about the Youth Theater Project or are interested in contributing as a Project Assistant or Driver, please contact us using the information below.

Organizers, Youth Theater Project Julia Reimer, FPU Theater Faculty 453-2056; jkr@fpu.edu Melissa Graybill, McLane H.S. English faculty 274-6271 mlgraybill@yahoo.com Mama Makeka House of Hope Pakisa Tshimika, Executive Director Pakisa@mmhhope.org