The State Theatre Youth Education Program

Two years ago, The State responded to a growing need in our community for high-quality films, documentaries, performances and interactive discussions designed to engage, educate, entertain and inform students in grades four through seven. The State's Youth Education Program (YEP), a partnership with the Stanislaus County Office of Education, is offered to area schools and their students at no cost, other than the transportation required to bring them to The State on the day of a presentation. Now entering its third year, the program has reached more than 3,000 children, many of whom are at-risk and would not otherwise have an opportunity to partake of arts education or arts literacy curriculum due to cuts to such programs at schools nationwide. All presentations are interactive experiences in which students are expected to come with questions and to participate in the post-film or presentation discussions led by guest experts. In addition, programs are designed to meet content standards for California schools, and teachers are provided with targeted curriculum guides so the YEP programs are tied to what the students are learning in the classroom. Topics covered during the course of the presentations range from nutrition and diabetes prevention to science, anthropology and performance art. If you are a teacher and would like to learn more about YEP, please call State Theatre General Manager Sue Richardson at 209-527-4697.

This video is from the Fall 2010 YEP presentation featuring Dr. Robert Heck as the scientist "R. U. Healthy." More than 1,000 children were part of this nutrition education program that focused on diabetes prevention. A special "thank you" to Mr. Wes Page, a friend and supporter of The State, and also our videographer and documentarian.