The Stella Adler Outreach Division provides free actor-training to inner-city youth. Outreach aims to empower young people through craft. This is achieved through three major initiatives: 1) Adler Youth, 2) Summer Shakespeare and 3) School Partnerships. Since 2004 over 2000 NYC youth have been served.
Click here to see the Outreach Division’s Summer Shakespeare program on ABC news
Click here to see Outreach on Teen Kids News
“I have grown from being here. Unlike every other drama class I have taken, now I jump and do things voluntarily and I want to go up and do whatever activity we are doing” – Hannah, Adler Youth student
This program serves low-income teens and/or those who do not have an arts programming at school. In 2003 the NYC Council Committee on Education reported that despite efforts, a quality arts education had remained elusive for many NYC school children. According to the NYC Department of Education, less than one in five NYC public high schools have a theater teacher today. Of those teachers, most are not trained artists, but academics, who themselves did not receive a comprehensive arts education. Adler Outreach addresses these iniquities by providing high-level, long-term training to low-income students exclusively from trained theater professionals and practitioners.
New York City Students served 2004 – 2010
Program Students served
Adler Youth 196
Summer Shakespeare 54
In School programs 1277
OST/After school programs 532
TOTAL STUDENTS SERVED 2059
Advisory Board
Benicio del Toro, Honorary Chair
Whoopi Goldberg
Herb Kohl
Matthew Modine
Julianne Moore
“I feel even more confident in my acting and I speak my mind more often. I feel I can express myself without saying (I’m) sorry.” Elizabeth, Adler Youth student
The Outreach Division helps to fulfill the Studio’s mission to create an environment that nurtures theater artists who value humanity as their first priority by diversifying the student body and creating an environment for all students to become actors like Stella Adler and those in the Group Theater – actors who are socially and consciously aware and whose awareness contributes to their ability to act passionately.
“I’ve learned it’s okay to take risks and not be afraid to let your true self shine. This program allowed me to embrace my flaws and realize that perfection does not exist.” Mariann, Summer Shakespeare student
