Kids Acting with Purpose – Youth Arts Development Program
Kids Acting With Purpose (KAWP) is a grant-funded program designed to provide underserved youth arts enrichment and free training in the areas of acting, singing, and dance. Middle and high schools students of all levels receive 8-12 weeks of pre-professional experience preparing for a major stage production.
In 2023, Maroon 9 collaborated with the historic Jubilee Theatre to provide a free 12-week afterschool musical theatre program for underserved teens. The program ended in the production of the play, “Bone Soup: A Kwanzaa Story” written by Jessica Hebron and directed by ShaVonne Davis. The play was a magical story about “Culture Kingdom”, a community that used the principles of Kwanzaa to bring itself out of a recession. Its bigger than life character, “Culture Queen” had a commitment to uplift the community through the Kwanzaa principles and an instantly famous family recipe she shared from the ancestors called, “Bone Soup”. Bone Soup was performed in front of four sold-out audiences and received rave reviews and news highlights.
Review video highlights and the full production video on our Youtube page @maroon9: here
In February 2024, a select group of teen performers rehearsed and filmed a short documentary highlighting the Kids Acting With Purpose program for 3-weeks. The film also showcases singing, acting, and dancing centered around the song “Stand Up” from the movie “Harriet”.
This project led to the selection of the new play, “Harriet Tubman: Take My Hand and Follow Me” for our 2024 summer production. On the heels of the success of “Bone Soup”, the play celebrates the triumphant story of Harriet Tubman and her mark in American history. The community can look forward to this play on June 21, 2024 at 2p and 7p at the beautiful Jean McClung Middle School Theater.
Youth Programs
Maroon 9 Teen Summer Enrichment Program
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Our annual free teen summer enrichment program began in 2020 as a virtual program. The program provided 40 teens two-weeks of virtual workshops in the areas of arts, life skills, mental health, and career exploration. The program was featured on 97.9 Radio Station with Radio Host P-Skillz, who also was a guest speaker during the program. Parents praised the workshop for providing their youth an outlet and opportunity to share their voice with their peers in a safe environment.
To date, the program has been held in-person every summer and hosts 40-50 teens each year. Participants explore performing arts, engage in life skills workshops, enjoy hands-on STEM activities, and attend educational field trips such as college tours. Maroon 9 has collaborated with over 40 organizations and business professionals to share their skills and talents with participants to get them excited about various career pathways. Participants have left the program empowered with increased interests in attending HBCU colleges, interests in performing arts careers, and increased knowledge in the many options for life after high school.
The 2024 summer program has expanded to 8-weeks and gives 30 youth the opportunity to explore performing arts, media arts, college tours, career speakers, and education field trips. The program culminates in the stage production of “Harriet Tubman: Take My Hand & Follow Me” written by Kathryn Schultz-Miller and directed by ShaVonne Davis. Participants will receive over 180 hours of free training in acting, singing, dancing, media arts, college/career readiness, conflict resolution, and life skills. The program continues to be grant-funded by recurring supporters and provided at no cost to families.
Browse highlight videos of previous programs below:
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2021
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Support Us!
Calling Mentors
We want participants to meet the widest range of professionals and have knowledge of various career pathways. If you would like to introduce youth to your line of work or skill set, please email your information and workshop idea to info@maroon9.org.
To stay up to date on opportunities to empower youth, please join our Facebook group @DFWBlackMentors.
Calling Funders and Sponsors
We provide free enrichment programs to provide underserved youth access to high-quality programs and opportunities. The continuation of providing our programs for free lies within the support from the community. From 2020-2024, our organization has raised almost $200,000 in grants and donations to provide over 40 free enrichment programs. Please consider financially supporting Maroon 9 and its endeavors through a tax-free donation.
We also accept in-kind donations such as transportation services, travel expenses (hotels, airfare, etc.), snacks, bottled waters, program/rehearsal meals, and gift cards.
For inquiries, please contact us at info@maroon9.org or 682 200 9261.
Shows and Events - Book Tickets
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Community Initiatives
Sickle Cell Disease Awareness & Support
Our Vice President & Founder Cynthia Banks formed our nonprofit to memorialize her brother Michael Patterson. He lived with this incurable disease until he passed away at the young age of 49.
Maroon is the official color for the Sickle Cell Disease awareness ribbon and 9 represents September, which is Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month.
Maroon 9 provides advocacy in the following areas:
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Gives financial aid to patients with Sickle Cell Disease (e.g., during hospitalizations or other emergencies) and has provided eyeglasses for children whose sight was affected by the disease. Since 2016, Maroon 9 has helped 200+ families.
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Advocates for patients, especially the 27,000 in Tarrant County.
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Supports research towards finding cures.
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Makes the public aware about Sickle Cell Disease through events like our annual World Sickle Cell Day/Juneteenth Celebration, Sickle Cell Walk & Community Health Fair, and Sickle Cell Scholarship Banquet.
Sign Up
If you or your child (0-17) has sickle cell disease, please register with us
If you need immediate financial aid, please register, then fill the request form.
Also about volunteering