STEAM Stage Final Project

Lakshmi Shyamakrishnan, Benny Rockower, Ben Carver

English 394 - 0401
May 7, 2018

Table of Contents

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 I. Transmittal Letter…………………………………………………………..3

II. Abstract……………………………………………………………………...4

III. Statement of Problem…………………………………………………….....4

IV. Background History………………………………………………………...5

V. Facilities and Equipment…………………………………………………...8

VI. Cost Analysis………………………………………………………………...9

VII. Recommendation……………………………………………………............10

i. Sample Lesson Plan………………………………………………....10

VIII. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………...11

IX. Appendix………………………………………………………………….....12

i. Interviews……………………………………………………………12

ii. Audience Profile……………………………………………………..14

iii. Map and Directions to College Park Academy……………………17

iv. Annotated Bibliography…………………………………………….18

X. Author Biographies………………………………………………………….23

April 20th, 2018

Bernitta Johnson

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CPA Plus Coordinator
5751 Rivertech Court
Riverdale Park, MD 20737

Dear Ms. Johnson:

Nowadays, the educational world is leaning towards STEM--more careers, more opportunities,
and more mindsets--such that other subjects, like the arts, are being subject to budget cuts. Our
team has found a possible solution: adding STEM aspects into an arts environment, effectively
making it STEAM. We are a group of students at the University of Maryland, College Park who
are interested in partnering with you and College Park Academy to enhance the after-school
Performance and Arts program with our idea. A special thanks to Ms. Ceil Goldberg for
greenlighting our idea.

In conducting our research, we found that a 2002 report by the Arts Education Partnership
revealed that schoolchildren exposed to drama, music, and dance are often more proficient at
reading, writing, and math. A 2011 study by the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities
of Maryland found that integrating arts with other subjects can help raise achievement levels.
Arts are useful and help with student cognitive development, and we want to showcase this fact.

We had encountered a few issues with time constraints, as well as unresponsiveness from some
of the Department heads at the University, with whom we also want to partner in these efforts. It
took time to get the approval for the partnership, which set us back a few days in our research.
Nevertheless, we managed to compile all of our information thus far, and we will continue to
reach out and loop you into the calls so we can sort out the details of the partnership.

We would like to follow up with you in the coming weeks to create a finalized plan for our
proposal for implementation in Fall 2018. Our term ends on May 18th, and our team is available
to meet or schedule a call anytime afterwards. Thank you for reading the report. If you have any
questions, feel free to contact any of us at the below phone numbers or email addresses.

Lakshmi Shyamakrishnan Benjamin Carver Benny Rockower

(240) 535-2159 (336) 253-5742 (845) 709-7504
lakshyam@umd.edu bccarver@gmail.com rockowerb@gmail.com

STEAM Stage

Abstract:

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College Park Academy, a target school of the University of Maryland, College Park located in

PG County, has a well-established Drama Club and after-school performing arts program for its

students. However, many arts programs are being cut in the county due to budget cuts. In order

to make these programs sustainable, our team had the idea to incorporate more hard skills into

the arts environment, to prove its usefulness and provide a practical application of the concepts

learned in the classroom. We would acquire student interns from UMD, from the Department of

Mathematics, the A. James Clark School of Engineering and the Maryland Institute for

Technology in the Humanities, and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. We would operate

within the already-established internship programs that these schools have. These interns will

give their time to teach the skills necessary to these high school students to 1.) show them a real-

world application of these skills and 2.) help them understand the various career paths they may

be able to take in post-secondary school. We will partner first with College Park Academy--

which is a charter school and not in danger of the budget cuts--to test the feasibility of our idea,

and if it is successful then we will expand to other high schools in PG County.

Statement of Problem:

Over the past few years, there have been proposed budget cuts for PG County schools. These

cuts can lead to the elimination of arts, music, and physical education for its students. Though

the budget process has not ended, it is likely that it will affect these programs. Our state leaders

seem not to see the usefulness of these programs and federal leaders have even cut funding for

these programs (Miller, 2017). Many career paths these days are focused on Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and not so much on the Arts. Therefore, these

programs are most likely to be affected by these budget cuts. Arts programs provide an

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opportunity for students to creatively express themselves, and reducing the impact of these

programs or eliminating them entirely can be detrimental to the cognitive development of

adolescents. We want to prevent this from happening.

Background History:

● A 2002 report by the Arts Education Partnership revealed that schoolchildren exposed to

drama, music, and dance are often more proficient at reading, writing, and math (Henry,

2002). While school districts might be tempted to think of the arts as a frivolous part of

the educational system, this report suggests otherwise. Researchers determined that

students who received more arts education did better on standardized tests, improved

their social skills and were more motivated than those who had reduced or no access.

While researchers at the AEP admitted that art isn’t a panacea for what ails struggling

schools, the study led them to believe it could be a valuable asset for teaching students of

all ages — especially those in poor communities or who need remedial education.

● A 2011 study called “Reinvesting in Arts Education” by the President’s Committee on

the Arts and Humanities--an advisory board for the White House--found that integrating

arts with other subjects can help raise achievement levels (President’s Committee on the

Arts and the Humanities, 2011). Arts education may not just help raise test scores, but

also the learning process itself, as a recent study revealed. This report on the Maryland

school system found that skills learned in the visual arts could help improve reading and

the counterparts fostered in playing an instrument could be applied to math. Researchers

and school officials believe that arts education can be a valuable education reform tool,

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 and classroom integration of creative opportunities could be key to motivating students

and improving standardized test scores.

● STEAM Festival: held every fall, hosted by PG County Parks and Recreation

Department. An educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology,

Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry,

dialogue, and critical thinking. PG County Parks and Recreation created about 30 events.

They had community centers, and facility directors and managers grew excited. Some

organizations are already doing STEM-based programs but also have an arts division, and

they recognized that they needed to involve arts into this and it was a part that was

lacking participation, so they changed to STEAM (About Steam Festival, 2014).

○ Some activities for the students these past few years included growing their own

plants, learning the science behind baking, and building the tallest possible

structures out of balloons and tape whilst learning the concept of static electricity.

● College Park Academy Plus is an after-school enrichment program that provides

academic, athletic, and artistic extracurricular programs which supplement the growth

and development of the student. Students who participate in these activities are given the

opportunity to improve their overall physical health, self-esteem, and academic aptitude

while developing new abilities and discovering new potentials. The Performance and Arts

program is on a semester-by-semester basis, with a maximum of 20 CPA students, from

3:30 PM-6:00 PM for about six months at a total cost of $275 (CPA Plus: Performance

and Arts, 2018).

● There has already been instances of the integration of STEAM programs throughout the

country. In Burlington, Vermont, the experiment of the Integrated Arts Academy began

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 at H.O Wheeler School for children in pre-kindergarten to the fifth grade. An example of

what their integration is as follows: students study the Russian artists named Wassily

Kandinsky and create their own art in the same style of the artist. Then, they would

analyze the angles used in their drawings and highlight them.

○ After five years of implementing this, 66% of students showed to be proficient on

the NECAP (New England Common Assessment Program) Exam that tests for

reading, writing, mathematics and science. Before the implementation of this

program, only 17% showed to be proficient (Schwartz, 2014).

● Another example of the integration of STEAM is the opening of the Christopher

Columbus Family Academy in New Haven, Connecticut. This school hosts students from

pre-kindergarten to the eighth grade, and the building was designed to have different

sculptures and murals throughout every corridor.

○ These works of art are used in day-to-day teachings, as their Fall curriculum was

based off of the use of architecture. Students study angles in each painting, learn

about space through specific paintings on ceilings, and learned the concept of

mapping and directions by marking each sculpture on campus (Hu, 2009).

Facilities and Equipment:

● Our team will partner with College Park Academy to enhance their after-school CPA

Plus Performance and Arts program. They already have a well-established Drama Club,

and we would help incorporate some conceptual knowledge of science, technology,

engineering, and math into the arts environment and show the students how what they

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learn in class can be applied in real-world situations. We created a sample learning plan,

which is included in this document under “Recommendations”. We would hire student

interns from the A. James Clark School of Engineering, the Maryland Institute for

Technology in the Humanities (under Clark), the Department of Mathematics, and the

Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center here on campus. The interns will be paid the

designated amount that interns through these schools are paid, subsidized by the

corresponding school.

○ Our student interns will attend the after-school program every Tuesday when it is

held, and we would open the internship to juniors or seniors, who have a firm

grasp of these concepts and most likely have a car. If they do not have a car, they

would be able to take the bus:

■ Bus schedule: take the 126 bus to New Carrollton Station, and from there

it is a 3-minute walk to CPA. Or preferably, they have cars.

● The map and directions from the University of Maryland to

College Park Academy is attached at the end of this proposal.

■ Requirements for being interns:

● Junior or senior status, in one of the schools as listed above,

available to work on Tuesday afternoons and evenings. Added

bonus: having their own car. We spoke to some of the faculty/staff

at the following: A. James Clark School of Engineering, the

Department of Mathematics, and the Clarice Smith Performing

Arts Center, all of whom stated that they had students who may be

interested in pursuing an internship like this.

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Cost Analysis:

The program charges $275 per College Park Academy student participant per semester.

College Park Academy will be able to cover the costs, since we will be providing the interns who

will be teaching the concepts to the students. The same teachers will be continued to be paid the

same as they normally would for staying after school and working with this program. The same

equipment will be used to put on the productions. The only costs associated with this program

would be the payment of the interns. We are planning to have three interns, each paid at $10 an

hour, for 2 -and-a-half hours a week, so $75 a week total. Since we are operating through an

internship program for the UMD student interns, through the Department of Mathematics, the A.

James Clark School of Engineering, and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, the cost will

be covered by these departments who are providing the student interns. Each department will

independently supply their own interns, and compensation may vary depending on the

department involved. While these department have infrastructure and funding in place to

compensate interns, some may prefer to do so in the form of course credits rather than the

payment plan outlined here.

Recommendation:

We recommend that College Park Academy implement our STEAM idea into their Performance

and Arts after-school program. Many arts programs are being cut due to lack of funding, and the

programs can be shown to be more useful and necessary for the students if they provide a real-

world example of the application of STEM concepts learned in the classroom. If no action is

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taken here, then these programs will stop and students will no longer have a safe space for

creativity and self-expression after school.

Sample Lesson Plan

Lesson Title: “Introduction to Set Design”

Time: Every Tuesday from 3:30 to 6:00 in the afternoon (groups switch at 4:45)

Objective:

This lesson will show the basic template of how we will run each class in conjunction with the

CPA Plus Performance and Arts program. The basic principle we will be covering in this sample

lesson is the types of engineering challenges that set designers face.

Schedule:

3:30-4:00 : Introduction to the activity. Making a set may seem simple, but in reality,

professional theater sets require specialized knowledge of engineering and design. The exact

curriculum may vary depending on the intern, but the intern instructors will teach the students

the basic stem principles behind the subject we are covering. For example: How do stage

designers calculate the load bearing capacity of a piece of the set meant to hold actors, such as a

balcony.

4:00-4:30 : The interns will then lead the students in an activity, in this case designing their own

set on graph paper. The students will demonstrate how they came up with their design and how

they believe it will work if actually constructed.

4:30-4:45 : Reflections on the lesson and a concluding 15 minutes. This will be an opportunity

for the students to bring up any final thoughts they had about the activity as well as identify any

issues or ideas that occurred during the activity.

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4:45-6:00 : The students switch groups and the activity is repeated with the new group.

Conclusion:

Introducing a STEM aspect into the arts field has been proven, over multiple studies conducted,

to enhance the learning ability of students and increase their achievement levels. More and more

schools are leaning towards STEAM programs. We will be partnering with the College Park

Academy Plus after-school Performance and Arts program to teach its students about these

concepts and how they can apply them to real-world scenarios. This will increase their

understanding of STEM in a practical setting, will allow them to have a safe space for self-

expression after school, as well as provide knowledge of career paths they may be able to take

while in a post-secondary institution.

Appendix:

Interview questions:

Lakshmi’s interview with Jane Hirshberg, Assistant Director of Campus and Community

Engagement at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center:

1.) Do you believe that this is a problem that we should be addressing?

2.) How long do you think this problem has been going on, and what are others doing to

combat it?

3.) What kinds of after-school programs does the Clarice hold?

4.) How do you think we can differentiate ourselves from what is already set in place?

5.) Is there funding specified for each program?

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 6.) What recommendations do you have for our program?

Lakshmi’s Interview with Brittany Lassiter from the PG County Parks and Recreation STEAM

Festival:

1.) How did the STEAM Festival get started?

2.) What is its purpose?

3.) To whom is it targeted?

4.) How did you market the event?

5.) What were the costs associated with the STEAM Festival?

6.) How did you go about getting sponsors?

7.) What issues did you face getting this off the ground?

8.) Do you have any recommendations for us?

Lakshmi’s Interview with Bernitta Johnson, the College Park Academy Plus Coordinator:

1.) Can you tell us a bit more about the CPA Plus program, specifically the Performing Arts

sector?

2.) Why was it instituted?

3.) Hypothetically, would College Park Academy be interested in partnering with our

students for this project?

a.) We would provide the interns and their transportation fees. Does this seem

feasible to what is already instituted?

4.) How does CPA go about acquiring funding for these programs?

5.) What costs are associated with this?

6.) Could we get a copy of the syllabus, or would you be able to tell us what a typical day in

the performing arts program looks like?

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 7.) Do you have any recommendations for us in pursuing this project?

Benjamin Rockower’s interview with Delavichia Jones, Administrative Assistant of Friendly

High School:

1.) What kinds of programs do you have that already already implemented in your school?

a.) How well are they working?

b.) What are the costs?

c.) What were challenges that were faced while implementing your programs?

2.) Would you be interested in using our program in your high school?

3.) Do you have any recommendations for us in pursuing this project?

Audience Profile:

INITIAL AUDIENCE – Sees message first

● Ms. Goldberg is the initial audience, because she sees our research/recommendation

proposal first, before we show it to the individuals who can decide to accept/reject our

proposal.

PRIMARY AUDIENCE – Decides whether to accept, reject or act on the message

● We have a few primary audiences: the A. James Clark School of Engineering, the

Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (which operates under Clark), the

Department of Mathematics, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, and their

respective internship programs and the faculty in charge, since we are creating an

internship program through these schools. Also, we will be seeking the approval of

College Park Academy and Bernitta Johnson, with whom we plan on partnering.

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WHO IS THE AUDIENCE? WHO WANTS OR NEEDS THE DOCUMENT?

● College Park Academy Plus supervisor Bernitta Johnson wants the document, since this

proposal directly affects her and her after-school program.

WHO WILL READ It? Are these two the same or different?

● Ms. Goldberg will read it for the purposes of the class, but we are hoping to make this

proposal a reality, so in the future we plan on having Bernitta Johnson from CPA Plus

read it as well.

WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE OR EXIGENCE? HOW WILL IT BE USED? i.e.,

inform, persuade, encourage action?

● The purpose of our proposal will be to create a joint effort between the University of

Maryland Departments (A. James Clark School of Engineering, Maryland Institute for

Technology in the Humanities, the Department of Mathematics, and the Clarice Smith

Performing Arts Center) and the College Park Academy after-school Performance and

Arts program. It will be used to create an internship program within the aforementioned

departments in UMD, to provide junior and senior interns to teach these STEM concepts

to the high school students of College Park Academy.

WHAT ARE SOME PROBABLE QUESTIONS THAT AN AUDIENCE MIGHT

ASK AND SHOULD BE ANSWERED IN THE DOCUMENT?

● Why is this program being created?

● Who will it affect?

● What topics will be included in the program?

● What issue is it addressing?

● What resources are needed?

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 ● How much will it cost?

● Who will you work with?

CAN THE INFO BE PLACED IN A CONTEXT?(Historical or Background)

● Background information: PG County has proposed budget cuts for its arts programs in

high schools, and has been a topic of discussion for the past few years. Given that these

arts programs do not bring in much money, and that many career nowadays are STEM

focused, arts are beginning to be obsolete.

HOW MUCH PRIOR KNOWLEDGE DOES THE AUDIENCE HAVE OR NEED

TO HAVE? This will determine what information needs to be included.

● The audience should have a basic understanding of what STEM and the arts are, and that

high schools have had these programs for years. We will be introducing the topic of

budget cuts to them, so there is no need to understand further.

ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THE MATERIAL?

● Donald Trump, in March 2017, wanted these budget cuts implemented for arts around the

country. Many PG County schools are considering the cuts.

ARE THERE ANY EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES AFFECTING THE

SITUATION? i.e., economy, layoffs, time of year?

● The fact that the budget cuts are being implemented is indicative of the issues with

funding through the government.

DOES THE WRITER SPEAK WITH ANY AUTHORITY OR ETHOS? WHAT IS

THE WRITER’S STANDING IN THE COMMUNITY HE/SHE IS WRITING

ABOUT?

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 ● We do not have much authority in this field, but we have conducted extensive research

regarding theatre programs and our method for implementation of STEM into them in

order to be regarded as credible in this topic. Along with this, Lakshmi has a theatre

background in her elementary and high schools, so she understands the basics of theatre

and the curriculum they are creating.

TONE – FORMAL, BUSINESS-LIKE, ANGRY, COMPOSED?

● The tone is formal and business-like, as we are proposing a research/recommendation

plan to an actual high school for a partnership with their after-school theatre program.

DUE DATE?

● 5/7/18

Map and Directions to College Park Academy:

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 ● This figure shows that College Park Academy is only an eight minute drive from the

Adele H. Stamp Student Union (the middle of campus). The bus route 126 pick up at the

Adele H. Stamp Student Union and drops off at New Carrollton Station which is a three

minute walk from College Park Academy.

Reprinted from Google Maps, Google. (n.d.). Google Maps directions for driving from

Adele H. Stamp Student Union, United States, to College Park Academy, United States.

Retrieved April 30, 2018, from goo.gl/vyVQfZ

Bibliography:

1.) N.A. (March 28, 2014). About STEAM Festival. Retrieved March 10, 2018, from

http://www.pgparks.com/844/STEAM-Festival

This webpage from Prince George’s county parks website is an example of one of the existing

STEAM programs in our area of interest. Researching programs such as this has helped us both

establish what areas of need are not covered by STEAM programs in the area, as well as how

existing programs work. This is particularly important in establishing the niche to be filled by

our particular organization.

2.) Nawrotzki, K. (2004). History of Education Quarterly, 430-435. Retrieved March 10, 2018,

from http://www.jstor.org.proxy-um.researchport.umd.edu/stable/3218037

This article is part of a broader section of peer reviewed sources we are researching that delves

into the specific benefits that after school programs have for under-served youth and their

communities at large. These articles are important to demonstrate the positive effects that after-

school programs might have for our partner organization, as well as clarifying our mission

statements and goals.

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3.) Hernandez, H. (December 4, 2014). The Washington Post. Retrieved March 10, 2018, from

https://advance-lexis-com.proxy-um.researchport.umd.edu

In this article the writer goes into detail about a previous non-profit after school program

proposal for PG county public schools funded by the county government. This article both

establishes some prior context to community receptiveness to existing afterschool programs, and

the viability of future afterschool programs.

4.) N.A. CPA Plus: Performance and Arts. Retrieved April 13, 2018, from

https://www.collegeparkacademy.com/performance--art

This webpage provides a basic overview of the arts after school programs already that College

Park Academy already has in place. This serves as a base point for our research into a

partnership with CPA, and how we might fit into their existing curriculum.

5.) Henry, T. (May 18, 2002). Study: Arts Education has Academic Effect. Retrieved April 14,

2018, from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2002-05-20-arts.htm

This study outlines some of the demonstrable benefits that arts education has on the academic

performance of grade school students. These benefits include improved critical thinking, verbal

skills, and higher standardized test scores, all of which are beneficial to careers in STEM.

6.) President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. (May, 2011). Reinvesting in Arts

Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools. Retrieved April 14, 2018,

from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED522818.pdf

This 2011 study done by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities looks over

specific examples within the Maryland school system where student grades and test scores could

be correlated with access to arts education. The study concluded that students with exposure to

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the arts gained critical thinking and reading skills directly linked to academic success in other

fields.

7.) Krigman, E. (Feb 13, 2014). Gaining STEAM: Teaching Science Through Art. Retrieved

April 14, 2018, from https://www.usnews.com/news/stem-solutions /articles/2014/02/13/gai

ning-steam-teaching-science-though-art

This article focuses on desirability of skills developed through steam education in higher

education. CPA has been characterized as a possible feeder school for UMD so this is

particularly relevant.

8.) Tarnoff, J. (October 10, 2010). STEM to STEAM — Recognizing the Value of Creative Skills

in the Competitiveness Debate. Retrieved April 14, 2018, from

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-tarnoff/stem-to-steam-recognizing_b_756519.html

Another article which focuses on the increases applicability of creative skills learned through the

arts in work in STEM fields.

9.) Center for Online Education (June 3, 2016). 10 Studies on the Importance of Art in

Education. OnlineColleges.net, Retrieved April 22nd, 2018, from www.onlinecolleges.net/10-

salient-studies-on-the-arts-in-education/.

This webpage served as one of our resources for researching other articles on the relationship of

the current policy environment and the arts.

10.) Gifford, S. (30 March 2012). New NEA Research Report Shows Potential Benefits of Arts

Education for At-Risk Youth. Retrieved April 30th, 2018, from

https://www.arts.gov/news/2012/new-nea-research-report-shows-potential-benefits-arts-

education-risk-youth

This article reinforces the usefulness of an arts curriculum in the overall education of high school

19
age students. Not only does this article point to research showing the higher educational

attainment of students exposed to the arts, it shows the correlation between arts education and

higher proficiency in STEM subjects.

11.) Miller, H. (2017, April 30). U.S. Students Are Struggling In The Arts. Donald Trump's

Budget Would Make The Problem Worse. Retrieved from April 29th, 2018, from

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/us-students-struggling-arts-and-donald-

trump_us_58ff678be4b0c46f0782711b

As well as outlining the existing problems facing arts education, this article reviews the effects

that the trump administration’s budget cuts have on public arts programs throughout the country.

12.) Schwartz, K. (2015, January 14). How Integrating Arts Into Other Subjects Makes Learning

Come Alive. Retrieved April 29, 2018, from https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/38576/how-

integrating-arts-into-other-subjects-makes-learning-come-alive

This article delves into the specifics of how learning collaboration across subjects improves

student outcomes. While the arts are worth studying in their own merit, the writer of this article

also points to research showing the effectiveness of arts as a tool to increase learning potential

within STEM.

13.) Hu, W. (2009, October 01). Public Schools Incorporate Art as a Teaching Tool. Retrieved

April 29, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/education/02art.html

Another article illustrating the arts’ effectiveness as a tool for teaching other subjects. While the

idea of STEAM is not widely adopted at this time, past integration of subject matter has proven

to be very beneficial for learning outcomes in the arts as well as STEM fields.

14.) (4/11/18, J. Hirshberg, Personal Interview)

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The interview was conducted with a representative of the after-school programs of the Clarice

Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland, College Park. Ms. Hirshberg gave

us information regarding their after-school programs and recommended that we investigate into

partnering with high schools, including College Park Academy.

15.) (April 13, 2018. Delavichia Jones. Personal Interview.)

This interview allowed us to see a presence, or lack thereof, of STEAM programs in the local

area. It also allowed us to survey a local school to see if they would be interested in our program.

16.) (April 12, 2018. B. Lassiter. Personal Interview.)

The interview allowed us to be more informed about the STEAM Festival, and the processes

behind how it originated and the implementation of STEAM, and their successes every year.

17.) (April 17, 2018. B. Johnson. Personal Interview)

We spoke to the CPA Plus coordinator about the partnership, and she informed us more about

the program they hold and their interest in partnering with us.

Author Biographies:

Lakshmi Shyamakrishnan is a sophomore majoring in Operations Management and Business

Analytics, with a double-major in Marketing. She has been passionate about the performing arts

since she was nine years old, and continues to promote its usefulness and necessity in the lives of

impressionable students. She has been and always will be a theatre kid, and takes pride in

knowing that this is a conversation she wants to be a part of for a very long time. She has

experienced first-hand the many valuable skills learned whilst working on a theatrical

production, and can attest to its practical usage in the real-world. She is comfortable with the

performing arts, and has the passion and drive to accomplish this project.

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Ben Carver is a junior English Major at the University of Maryland College Park. He became

interested in the field of education and youth programs during his time working as a tutor during

the school year and creative writing teacher over the summer. As a lifelong fan of the arts, Ben

hopes to contribute to the future of fine arts professions in the Washington region. Ben looks to

utilize his experience working with low income youth in the DC area to develop a program that

will best cater to the needs of these underserved communities.

Benjamin Rockower is a sophomore and a prospective student of the Robert H. Smith School of

Business, with an intended major in Accounting. Though he has limited experience with the

performing arts, he feels that entertainment is a great way for people to express themselves. He

has an experience spending volunteer hours with underprivileged youth, but has spent it by

teaching them in school or through playing sports. He feels that this project will give him more

diversity in helping others. He is very dedicated to this task, as he is very interested in helping

these children and learning more about the performing arts. This project will serve as a learning

experience to him as well, as he hopes to take away many benefits of the performing arts.

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