Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form

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Organization Name: Young Playwrights’ Theater
Legal Name (if Different):
Also Known As:
Mailing Address: 6925 Willow Street NW Suite LL-230
City: Washington
State: District of Columbia
Postal Code: 20012
Main Phone: 2023879173
Main Fax:
Organization Website: https://youngplaywrightstheater.org/
Employer ID Number: 52-2102391
Organization Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Proposal Information

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Today’s Date: 3/28/24
Requested Amount: $10,000

Project Title: In-School and Out-of-School Time Playwriting Programs
Project Description:

Young Playwrights’ Theater inspires young people to realize the power of their own voices. We believe creative expression and theater are valuable tools for the education, enrichment, and self-actualization of young people. Through our programs and productions, we fulfill young peoples’ creative visions by hiring professional artists to guide and perform original youth-generated work for their peers and the public. YPT deliberately focuses our resources on communities of color that have been systematically oppressed and socially and politically excluded based on race, class, and other intersections of oppression, and we have spent nearly 30 years building playwriting programs and performance series that establish deep relationships with students, schools, and families across our region.

YPT has been steadily expanding our programming to meet demand since returning in-person in 2022, and we aim to serve more students than ever before in FY25. Funding will support our 2024-2025 youth playwriting programs as we continue and grow our in-school and out-of-school-time programming that will reach 700 students and 750 audience members through our season of youth-written performances. These programs are offered at no charge and weave the art of playwriting into Language Arts curricula to enhance literacy, creative expression, and communication, with enrichment activities focused on playwriting, socio-emotional learning, and performance. Every student writes their own play from idea to final draft and we bring local actors into the classroom to perform students’ plays, allowing them to see their words brought to life by career artists. YPT’s programming achieves dual outcomes in academic achievement and social justice through our innovative model that seeks to address educational injustice and achieve youth development outcomes through theater education.

Recognizing that art is inherently powerful, YPT equips young people to use the power of their own stories in ways that positively transform them, their audience, and their community.

Total Project Budget: $303,522

Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): Capitol Hill Community Foundation (potential) $ 3,000 Corina Higginson Trust (secured) $ 7,500 Hattie M. Strong Foundation (potential) $ 15,000 Events DC(potential) $ 25,000 Mayor’s Office on LGBTQ Affairs (potential) $ 20,000 Mayor’s Office on Out-Of-School Time (potential) $ 185,000 The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation (potential) $ 25,000 Webber Family Foundation (potential) $ 20,000 Individual Giving $ 3,022

Project Duration: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025
Geographical Area Served: Washington, DC
Age Group To Be Served: 6-24

Contact Information

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Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Mr.
Contact First Name: Matt
Contact Last Name: Volk
Contact Title: Development Manager
Contact Phone: (202) 387 – 9173 x 111
Contact Email: mvolk@yptdc.org