‘Improv’ helps students mentor troubled teens

‘Improv’ helps students mentor troubled teens

GRANTS - Students at New Mexico State University-Grants Campus learned earlier this week how to use theater improvisation skills to help “at risk” youth.

The students' counterparts from Northern Kentucky University presented a Service Learning Activity.

Students enrolled integrated the lessons of acting “improv” with “at risk” youth. This program from Kentucky involved first-time juvenile offenders from the Kentucky court system in 12 meetings that typically included theater improvisation. After their sessions, the young people would enact a final presentation along with a reception.

“Life skills through stage skills was fueling my research, studies, teaching and community work” creator Daryl Harris described. Role playing and acting out difficult life situations, such as addictions, crime, school and other relevant issues to the youth were explored.

“While we may or may not see immediate life changing results, clearly we do hit a nerve. I can honestly say that none of the service learning projects I participated in have rivaled Theater in Diversion, arguably the most challenging yet potentially significant program of all,” said Barbara Wallace of the Kentucky program. “While it is impossible to know what long term effects on the youth's lives will be, this opportunity will profoundly influence them in myriad ways” she added.

The selected students at Grants experienced a series of acting exercises to increase trust and group cooperation. After learning the methods, these students might continue as mentors to youth.

In addition to the theater component of Service Learning, other activities included the design and creation of visual art such as murals, sculpture and banners for neighborhoods. The college courses related are graphic design, urban planning, architecture and industrial design. Another activity is to tutor at-risk children in Kids Caf/, which connects with the college English, photography, music, dance and art education courses.

The tutoring of underserved children in inner-city public schools also involves English, music, theater, dance, art education and fashion design. Developing an after-school art, music, acting or dance program incorporates theater troupe, interactive multimedia, the arts and history. Branching from the youth, seniors were assisted in journaling, photography, video, and oral history.

Local community members and NMSU-Grants students who wish to learn more about Service Learning can contact the area coordinator, Genevieve Humenay at 287-6620.

By Janis Derrick

Beacon correspondent