About the Junior High School Program

The Junior High School Program at CAT offers in-class and after-school participatory drama workshops to enhance students' communication and critical thinking skills. Through drama strategies such as role play students assume the characters in the drama in order to confront the issues in the story. Guided by CAT's professionally trained actor/teachers, students will also use improvisational techniques and problem solving skills to explore options and make critical choices throughout the session. Ultimately, it is the students who direct the events of the workshop.

CAT's JHS curriculum embraces a holistic approach to nurturing self-esteem, resilience, and literacy. Out of its powerful dramatic fictions, CAT raises challenging questions and motivates the young participants to go in search of their own answers. Through the lens of theatre, reality is viewed afresh, new perspectives shown and relevant skills acquired. The young people are encouraged to problem solve, both emotionally and intellectually, in the face of difficult challenges encountered in these imagined worlds. The final challenge is to turn towards the future to reapply their new discoveries in the reality of their everyday lives. CAT uses the power of theatre to open hearts and expand minds.

CAT's actor/teachers encourage the same skills that Junior High School English-Language Arts teachers are developing in their students. Through innovative theatre-in-education techniques such as image theatre, scene-work, characterization, and role play, young people interpret or "read" the events of the drama, and develop their listening, comprehension, writing, and oral expression. In addition, there are numerous opportunities throughout the workshops for students to express themselves artistically- through in-role character work, song, movement, dance, and creative writing.

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