A program in drama and peace-making presented by BuildaBridge in partnership with the Neighborhood Interfaith Movement, the Wissahickon Boys’ and Girls’ Club, and the Lutheran Theological Seminary.

Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:30-8:30 pm from June 26-August 9, 2007
Wissahickon Boys’ and Girls’ Club, 328 W. Coulter St., 19144

Act Out for Peace will provide youth with the opportunity to explore the concept of peace in their lives and communities and learn basic conflict resolution skills through transformational drama, interactive dialogue, and group mentoring:

• Tuesday Sessions: BuildaBridge’s team of assistant teachers will lead students in individual and group discussion and reflection, research, and other activities related to issues of peace and conflict explored through drama sessions.
• Thursday Sessions: Professional educator/ director Lisa Jo Epstein will guide sessions role-play and improvisation which will allow students to imagine and experiment with ways to resolve conflict, heal trauma, and enact change.
• The Final Celebration: Students will present their skills and discoveries to parents and community members on the evening of Thursday, August 9.

OBJECTIVES
• To define the term peace within the contemporary context of youth culture and the
specific need of Philadelphia.
• To develop effective decision-making skills by defining a problem, generating
alternatives, analyzing risks and consequences, selecting alternatives, and evaluating
decisions.
• To learn to work together, initiate dialogue, and communicate effectively in group contexts.
• To develop a sense of self-efficacy, empathy, understanding, and awareness of themselves and others.
• To learn the steps for using interactive drama as an enjoyable, powerful and engaging
process for community-building, addressing problems and rehearsing new possibilities for taking action and making change in their lives.

OUTCOMES
At the end of the seven-week Act Out for Peace program students will:
• Express a new awareness of how their choices impact themselves and others.
• Articulate individual ideas to initiate peace-making in their communities.
• Demonstrate decision-making skills in resolving conflict.
• Show improved comprehension of differences in perspectives and how to work empathetically with others.
• Demonstrate, through participation, the steps for using interactive drama as a process
for community building.