CENTERSTAGE Recognized as 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award Finalist

CENTERSTAGE's catalog of Education and Community Programs, which serves nearly 10,000 students annually through such offerings as Encounter and the Young Playwrights Festival, has been selected as a 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award Finalist.

CENTERSTAGE is proud to be among the 50 distinguished Finalists, chosen from a national field of nearly 500 nominees. In late June, 12 top organizations will be selected from this group of 50 to receive a $10,000 grant, an invitation to a White House award ceremony hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama, and the opportunity to participate in NAHYPA's annual national conference with other awardees.

The 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award (NAHYPA) 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 underserved communities. Presented by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, and its partner agencies-the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities-the award recognizes and supports excellence in programs that open new pathways to learning, self-discovery, and achievement.

CENTERSTAGE's innovative Education Programs introduce theater into the lives of nearly 10,000 students annually through participatory experiences with the literary and performing arts. This ambitious array of learning, leadership training, arts making, and community building programs encourages young imaginations actively to cultivate creative and intellectual potential. School-based initiatives such as the Student Matinee and Playwright Residency programs help ensure broad geographic and demographic reach. Providing extensive free classroom resources-from online study guides to in-class visits by theater professionals-promotes strategic curriculum integration with all of our educational partners. Further empowering local communities as they struggle to sustain adequate creative curricula, CENTERSTAGE's out-of-school activities include the teen ensemble Encounter, structured Mentorship and Apprenticeship opportunities, the popular Kickin' It with the ‘Rents family series, Summer Programs, and the Young Playwrights Festival, among others. Each unique program offers students extraordinary interactive access to CENTERSTAGE-a recognized national leader in professional regional theater as well as Maryland's designated State Theater.

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

Since 1963, CENTERSTAGE has been committed to producing and developing an eclectic repertory of challenging, bold, and thought-provoking work, representing a varied array of theatrical styles and forms, in collaboration with leading artists. Each year, a consistently broad range of productions in two intimate performing spaces attracts highly diverse audiences of more than 100,000 people-including thousands of fiercely loyal subscriber members, many of whom have been with the theater during its entire history. Additionally, CENTERSTAGE offers a variety of dramaturgical, community, and educational programs to broaden access and enhance the theatergoing experience, earning its honorary designation as the official State Theater of Maryland.

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