William Shakespeare
UTSA program to promote literacy among San Antonio youth
(May 13, 2003)--The University of Texas at San Antonio Office of K-16 Initiatives will sponsor a program, "Shakespeares in the Barrio," to promote literacy and the literary arts by engaging San Antonio youths ages 13 to 21 in workshops conducted by area residents, secondary school educators and university faculty. The program will culminate in a literary festival July 15 at the UTSA Downtown Campus.
Created through a grant from the City of San Antonio Department of Community Initiatives Human Development Fund, the program's objective is to affirm students' talents, create learning opportunities and public showcases and model creative expression. The program is built on the premise that Shakespeare's success can be attributed to opportunity, perseverance and talent rather than background, and that San Antonio has many potential Shakespeares.
Program instructors will recruit participants by visiting local secondary schools, community colleges and universities, community arts organizations and social service agencies. An advisory team of local teachers, writers and youth advocates will provide leadership and guidance on all phases of the project's development.
"Shakespeares in the Barrio" is the brainchild of longtime community activist Lydia Garza, who brought the idea to Louis Mendoza, associate dean of the UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts at the Downtown Campus and director of the new program.
"This is an all-volunteer effort including UTSA faculty, community college and high school teachers and local poets," said Mendoza. "The program challenges the assumptions about inner city youth that the problem of literacy is the fault of those who haven't mastered it and that literary arts are not a vital part of everyday youth culture and cultural traditions."
UTSA English, classics and philosophy faculty members helping to develop the program are Bernadette Andrea, Kamala Platt and Bill Mullen. Participating local poets include Jesse Cardona, Victoria Klein, Frances Trevino and Trey Moore.
Students will participate in a citywide writing contest structured around age groups and genres culminating in the literary festival and publishing of the youths' writings this fall. The Derrumbando Fronteras National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar for Secondary School Teachers will underwrite awards at the festival.
For more information, contact Louis Mendoza, project director, at (210) 458-2544 or Lydia Garza, program coordinator, at (210) 923-8941.
----------------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES (Sunday, July 6 2008):
UTSA-Air Force biotechnology center to be dedicated Aug. 26Portions of Buena Vista Street Building closing this weekend
UTSA community invited to Week of Welcome activities
Unprotected personal computers put UTSA network at risk
New UTSA Web page: And now for something completely different
----------------------------------------------------------
© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2003