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BREAKING DOWN WALLS, COMING UP TALLER

The flap of a butterfly wing in Springfield, Ohio has caused a tornado in Washington DC. Project Jericho, a collaborative program of the Clark State Performing Arts Center and Job and Family Services of Clark County, is the recipient of a 2008 Coming Up Taller Award from the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. Project Jericho changes lives – and the White House has taken notice.

Scott and Anthony with Laura Bush and Caren Prothro Click to Enlarge

Be proud – our community has come together to make this happen: social workers and probation officers work alongside youth to create positive, in-depth arts experiences. Professional artists lead Project Jericho programs, which reach into Springfield City Schools, the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center, and involve numerous organizations including Champion City Scholars, Gary Geis School of Dance, GEAR Up, Wittenberg University, Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield Arts Council, and more.

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Here’s metamorphosis:
- Kids on the verge of permanent custody being reunified with parents following a Family Albums module

-From a specialized docket drug court program to a full college scholarship at Clark State

- A youth on probation since age 9 for graffiti redirects skills through PJ programming

- From a horrible case of child abuse to performing onstage for hundreds

- A youth in foster care commits to the arts and his future and will travel to the White House this week to receive the Coming Up Taller award from the First Lady.

Arts and humanities based youth organizations catalyze achievement in life and school. Since 1998, Coming Up Taller awards have recognized after-school and out-of-school programs in the U.S. and Mexico with the nation’s highest honor. Each year 15 awards are given from a nationwide pool of over 350 applicants. The Coming Up Taller Awards recognize and support outstanding community arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of America’s young people, provide them learning opportunities and chances to contribute to their communities. These awards focus national attention on exemplary programs currently fostering the creative and intellectual development of America’s children and youth through education and practical experience in the arts and the humanities. Accompanied by a cash award, the Coming Up Taller Awards not only reward these projects with recognition, but also contribute significant support to their continued work.

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“A lot of people think of the arts as only entertainment. Project Jericho shows that the arts can be used as a viable and positive way to change lives”, says Scott Dawson, Director of Outreach and Education for the Clark State Community College Performing Arts Center. “Through Project Jericho, personally challenged youth and families are able to give and contribute to their community in lasting ways.”

“Arts and humanities activities have a wonderful way of enabling young people to discover their unique talents and interests as they forge a path to success in school and in life,” said Adair Margo, Chairman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. “Project Jericho demonstrates the power of human potential for young people who receive nurturing guidance to create and perform works of art. The well-deserved sense of accomplishment they gain through their participation can translate directly to the smart decisions they’ll make in the future.”

Project Jericho is an arts outreach program based at the Clark State Performing Arts Center in collaboration with Job and Family Services of Clark County, with additional support from The Turner Foundation and The Ohio Arts Council. Project Jericho started in 1999 as a unique collaboration between a community college arts organization and a social service agency sharing the belief that Art Breaks Down Walls, and has grown to a multifaceted community of caring, reaching over 1700 youth directly and over 3700 youth and families indirectly during the 2007-2008 program year. Bob Suver, Director of Job and Family Services of Clark County, says, “Project Jericho is one of the most successful of all contracts held by [Job and Family Services].” The opening of a retrospective exhibit celebrating 10 years of amazing art and people, and the receipt of the Coming Up Taller Award will kick off 2009 for Project Jericho.

Questions about the Coming Up Taller Award and Project Jericho?
Contact: Scott Dawson
Tel. 937/328-7951
Email: dawsons@clarkstate.edu

If you would like to make a donation to Project Jericho please call 937-328-3841 and ask for Cathy Tagg. You can mail a donation to Clark State Performing Arts Center
Attn: Project Jericho Donation
300 S Fountain Ave.
Springfield, Ohio 45506

For more information on Project Jericho visit http://www.project-jericho.com/about, and on Coming Up Taller Awards visit www.cominguptaller.org.