Youth performing before distinguished guests at the Capitol in Washington D.C. after receiving a Coming Up Taller Award from First Lady Laura Bush.
Our Youth and Education department offers unique, innovative, life-changing programs for youth, educators, and artists.
These programs combine job training, academic enrichment, and human relations training with hands-on arts experience - and are nationally recognized for their effectiveness in reducing high-school dropout rates and delinquency. More importantly, they instill a lasting sense of creativity and competency in the youth who participate.
Click the links below to learn more about each program. Or make a contribution to support these and other endeavors of SF/LA! We’re transforming lives, play by play.
Youth Employment Programs
- Will Power to Youth
- Find out how lives are being transformed by this employment program, which hires young people challenged by severe economic circumstances to create and perform adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays during school break.
- Play On!
- Discover our innovative after-school employment program that hires young people challenged by severe economic circumstances to create and perform their own music and poetry inspired by Shakespeare’s songs and sonnets. Or order the latest Play On! CD online!
- Will to Work
- Taking our innovative approach to transforming lives beyond our doors, this program places young people enrolled in our Will Power system in paid internship positions at SF/LA and other local theaters.
Youth Enrichment Programs
- Will to Lead
- Helping to lead youth to new opportunities, this program offers youth enrolled in the Will Power system leadership training, after-school tutoring, and cultural field trips.
Professional Development Programs
- Will Power to Schools
- If you're a teacher or artist-mentor, come here to find out how you can request innovative curricula and training that provide new ways to bring the words of Shakespeare to your classrooms or arts programs.
- Youth Arts Professionals Institute
- Designed especially for artists who work with youth, this professional development program trains artists to develop age-appropriate arts curriculum for the classroom.
Frequently Asked Questions
- FAQs
- Find answers to questions about our youth and education programs, whether you are an educator, student, artist, community member or potential sponsor.