Thursday, August 20, 2015 and Impact Austin is on the marquee of the Paramount Theatre downtown.
Our members and their invited guests gathered at 6:00pm in the lounge of this historic theatre to sip cocktails, chat, and to learn a little more about Impact Austin.
Executive Director, Donna Benson-Chan introduced our community partner, Jim Ritts, CEO/Executive Director of the Paramount Theatre. Jim gave an impassioned speech about the lasting impact our grant had on the theatre and its winning program.
Literacy to Life is a program that allows The Paramount and State Theatres to engage children throughout Central Texas, cultivating a lifelong appreciation of the arts through their Education & Outreach Program. It is an eight week workshop in 3rd and 4th grade classrooms that uses drama, storytelling, and writing exercises to help students develop writing skills and celebrate the power of their imaginations. At the end of the residency, an ensemble of professional actors honors the creative voices of these students by bringing their writing to life in an energetic production for the whole school to see.
"Our two year grant from Impact Austin allowed us to expand Literacy to Life tremendously, affecting thousands of children and bringing literacy, theatre and most importantly, confidence into the lives of these young people."- Jim Ritts
