i Can @ thearc newsletter-Did You Hear That?

by Morgan Clark



Nolvert Garcia ( pictured in the striped shirt) the technical director of THEARC Theater conducts hands on workshops teaching local students the art of sound design in a theater production. The students are a part of a summer long program

called THEART @ THEARC Theater, created to nurture the development of young producers, stage and house managers along with sound and lighting technicians. The kids range in ages 14-21 years old, along with a few talented younger individuals.



Garcia opened his portion of the program by refreshing some and introducing others to the operation of the soundboard. A soundboard allows for full control of all the sound in the theater on one piece of equipment.



"What's this?" Garcia asks his students while pointing to what seems like one of hundreds of knobs on the soundboard. If the student doesn't know, it's okay. Garcia isn't afraid to let the students push buttons, turn knobs, try out the equipment and figure it out for themselves. And when they do there are plenty of high fives to go around.


WHAT IS THEARC?

Ten non profit partners at THEARC have come together under one roof to help children.
Since its opening in 2005, Town Hall Education, Arts and Recreation Campus-THEARC- has become a national prototype combining social, cultural and health services. It is a $27 million 110,000 square foot center on 16.5 acres of land in Southeast Washington, DC. THEARC provides a daily safe haven for the children it serves, with a wide range of arts, educational, recreational, health programs and services. In addition there is a 365-seat theatre (the only theatre east of the Anacostia River) a regulation size gymnasium, computer lab, art gallery, state-of-the-art music and dance studios.



WHY IS THEARC NEEDED?


Shockingly, the U.S. Census Bureau 2005 American Community Survey shows that our nation’s capital has the highest rate of childhood poverty of any jurisdiction in the United States. Three out of ten children in Washington, DC live at or below the poverty line—.



Will you contribute to help each charity fulfill their missions? Just click on the donate button! For more information about THEARC please go to our website http://www.thearcdc.org/ or you may call 1-202-4-THEARC (1-202-484-3272).

Selected for the 2008-2009 Catalogue for Philanthropy
“One of the best small charities in the greater Washington region”