STC has been chosen as a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards Finalist! Of the 301 nominations for this award nationwide, STC’s School Partnership Program has been selected as one of 50 finalists. Award winners will be announced in June.

The National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award is the Nation’s highest honor for out-of-school arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of America’s young people, particularly those from under-served communities. This award recognizes and supports excellence in programs that open new pathways to learning, self-discovery, and achievement.

Each year, the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards recognize 12 outstanding programs in the United States. Recipients of the award receive a $10,000 grant and the opportunity to visit the White House and accept the award from First Lady Michelle Obama.

STC’s School Partnership Program establishes in-school residency programs that bring theatre arts to the greater school community. Each program is tailored to the educational needs of the site. Drama education offerings include college and career readiness, Common Core ELA curricula, STEM, youth development, social-emotional learning, healthy living, community advisories, mentoring, and more.

STC’s Education and School of the Arts Director Michele Hillen-Noufer said, “It is an honor to be a finalist for this award, and an affirmation of the positive contribution that STC School of the Arts is making on the young people in our community. Students thrive in a learning environment that is creative, expressive and collaborative, and we are constantly inspired by how students excel in a theatre environment which gives students the opportunity to see the world through many lenses.”

The National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards initiative is a signature program of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities—in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services—to showcase cultural excellence and enhance the availability of out-of-school arts and humanities programs to children and young people.