East Valley Students Participate in 'School to Work' Workshop Today

Today, February 6, 2014 nearly 50 students from Mesa's Crossroads School and Tempe's Ward Traditional Academy will partake in an interactive workshop called School to Work that highlights potential career choices in arts administration.

Since 2004, School to Work has worked with more than 500 students from across the Valley to show them what it takes to run one of the top arts presenting theaters in the United States through staff-lead immersion workshops. The students will be assigned a job in an ASU Gammage department such as the box office, marketing, cultural participation, accounting and technical production. They will be tasked with working together as a staff to execute projects and solve problems. At the end of the workshop each department will present a final report of the work they performed within their departments. Students will also get an exclusive backstage tour with the company manager of THE WIZARD OF OZ, which performs at ASU Gammage February 4-9.

"I am proud to open our doors to these students; this could have a lasting effect on what career choices they make in the future," says Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, ASU Gammage executive director.

"This is an amazing experience to offer students; it opens their eyes to the many possibilities there are after getting an education. Even if they don't end up on stage as a singer, dancer or actor, if they enjoy the arts, this program shows them there are other careers that share in their love of the arts," says Deb Moore teacher at Sunrise Mountain, a past participant in the program.

For more information about getting your school or students involved in future School to Work workshops, please call 480.965.5062.