About
Expand a Successful Program
Hey kickstarter! Welcome to Atlanta home of The Fabulous Fox Theatre and also The CO-OP. In 2011 we launched our “Create It Theatre” program which is designed to teach children how to become successful performers in life through creative theatre. This year we are excited to expand our 10-week program to a nine month after school curriculum called “The CO-OP." The CO-OP is Creative Opportunities for Optimal Performance where we designed “games” that will teach creativity, confidence, and promote success through performing arts.
The CO-OP is a creative theatre-based program that enables youth (ages 5-14) to create their own production through interactive stories and games. The youth creatively put together stories to make characters come alive. Because it is totally from their imagination and creativity, the youth can modify characters as the production goes along and add more of their own personality.
The CO-OP was inspired by the popular creative theatre program, used by hundreds of young people (ages 5 and up) around the world. In creating the CO-OP, we redesigned the creative process of the theatre program and added more language to make them developmentally appropriate for all ages, carefully designing creative games to match each age children’s cognitive, personal, social, and emotional development.
Don’t just take my word for it let our students tell you about their experience with the program.
What People are saying about the program
“Tameka was a pleasure to work with and did a great job conducting these theater classes. I would recommend her for any opportunities to provide theater programs.”
Deb Strycula, City of Sandy Springs
"Ms. Anderson is responsive, motivated, energetic, and eager to help make Gwinnett County a better place to live and raise children.”
Catrice M. Fleming, Gwinnett County DFCS
“This program brings new vitality and creativity to the children of our community and gives them something positive to focus their energy and their talents on.”
Doris Dietrich, Norcross Human Services Center
“This is my child’s first acting class and it has increased his love for acting. He is now more sure than ever that this field is one he wants to pursue.”
“This class allowed the kids to express their creativity, build a little confidence, and have fun!”
“Great experience for my girls and it allows them to do on stage what they do at home in our living room.”
“This class provided my daughter the ability to use her skills and to do something constructive.”
“The kids responded really well, enjoyed it!”
What funds will do
The campaign will assist us in raising capital to expand our Create It Theatre program to a 9 month after school curriculum. The purpose is to gain accreditation, building location, permits, licenses, and hire more instructors. We will have an entire building and program dedicated to training youth to be successful performers in life.
What We Teach
The CO-OP enhances learning ability through performing arts. We teach from a smart creative learning process by encouraging the youth to create EVERYTHING in the production. Starting with the story-line, going through characters and props, the youth use their imagination to create wonderful productions. Each time the youth performs an original production that was created entirely by them, this inspires them to perform better in school and home life.
Children are very creative. The CO-OP will provide a creative outlet for both the parents and the children because the students feel a sense of ownership through creation of a production and in turn get the parents involved. The CO-OP also enables the youth to bring out their confidence through creating original scenes.
At the end-of-year production, the students have the opportunity to walk the red carpet that helps to boost their confidence and self-esteem.
CO-OP Process
Each session is an ten week class that leads to the final production by the students. Each week as the youth build the story, they are filmed so that they can see what they have created and what they want to improve. Then as the weeks go on, the production comes to life more and more as the youth are comfortable with providing their own personal touch to make it come alive.
Using the process of observing, directing, implementing, promoting, and encouraging the students, the production is an original creative masterpiece. We will expand the program to a nine month accredited curriculum based on overwhelming positive response we receive from parents that the program should be longer.
Why it works
Performing arts (improv acting) is a new type of communication method. Just as speaking helps you express your ideas, the same is true for performing arts. When a youth learns how to express themselves on stage in front of others, this increases their creativity in the learning capacity.
As youth perform on stage with the CO-OP program, they learn how to create and express themselves with their words and stories. In the process, children develop creative and problem-solving skills that are foundational for later academic success.
With The CO-OP, youth aren't just learning to perform, they are performing to learn.
Thanks for your assistance in training successful performers in life!
-Tameka
With your help, we can:
$30K PRODUCE CURRICULUM
- Pay for Trademark
- Down payment on accreditation application
- Rent office space
- Building permits and licenses
- Package curriculum for printing
$60K PURCHASE OFFICE EQUIPMENT & EXPAND SERVICES
- Rent additional time in office
- Invest in packaging for program materials
- Expand services to include beginning, intermediate, and advance students
- Invest in office supplies to enhance learning environment
$100K PERMANENT LOCATION AND BUILD THE TEAM
- Invest in commercial property for stability in program
- Hire employees to join The Co-op team
- Add e-learning platform
- Add interactive website
- Children's book print and online version
- Children online learning game
The Stretch Goals Rewards:
$60,000 stretch goal reward: Once we have reached $60K we will give away a FREE eBook version of our very first children's book series "The Cooper Files" created exclusively by our youth! Each donor will receive a copy. Expected delivery Oct 2014.
$100,000 stretch goal reward: Once we have reached $100K we will add the e-learning platform to the website and create interactive online games to accompany "The Cooper Files" and provide access code to all kickstarter supporters. Expected delivery Dec 2014.
$150,000 stretch goal reward: Once we have reached $150K we will host a FREE 3-day training for teachers, leaders, and staff that will allow this program to be implemented nationwide.
With your help, we started a successful program, now let's re-invent THE CO-OP together!
Sincerely,
Tameka Creative Director
Special Thanks to:
Rory Christian - Our amazing videographer.
Vladimir Ivaz- Our wonderful web developer.
Ana Vuletic and K. Ajay Raj Menon- Our wonderful marketing consultants.
Dajhena- Talented youth instructor who always does an amazing job with the youth.
Larry Block - Our amazing designer, who creates and makes things beautiful. Email him at larry (at) rutxting (dot) com if you need design help!
Cheryl Stephens - Wonderful educator and co-creator of Co-op Program.
Our parents, friends and you!
Risks and challenges
No project comes with guarantees, however, I feel extremely confident that if we reach our funding goal expansion will go very smoothly. I have already started working with a licensed therapist and educator to create the curriculum that will be used during the accreditation process and with the funding we should be moving into the building within 4-7 weeks. 4-6 weeks for building permits and business licenses and delivery of the equipment and 1 week for on-site installation and inspection.
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Funding period
- (33 days)