The Regional Talent Centers are offering free Saturday arts classes that are enabling students to be a part of unique and creative programs featuring state-of-the-art technology and resources that are not available in most schools. Talent Center Saturday classes offer digital photography, graphic design, hip-hop and modern dance, small group instrumental lessons and recording studio sessions at the Philadelphia Center for Arts and Technology (PCAT).

With most arts programming only being available for a price, the Talent Centers are allowing parents the opportunity to expose their children to productive and educational activities to enrich their Saturdays. They will also offer frequent special events for parents such as nutrition workshops, computer literacy and job readiness.

With locations in the Northwest (Martin Luther King High School) and in South Philadelphia (Universal Audenried Charter High School), the Regional Talent Centers is a free arts-based after-school program that has open and ongoing enrollment for all Philadelphia youth in grades 6–12. In addition to Saturday, the Talent Center offers classes during the week from Tuesday through Thursday. Through teaching art, dance, theater and music — the Talent Center emphasizes critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving — in addition to offering homework help and providing free nutritious lunches for all attendees.

Seventh-grader Meryi, who participates in the visual art class during the week, doesn’t mind waking up on Saturday morning for the Talent Center’s digital photography class. “I like photography because it’s different than what I do during the week at the Talent Center. I love photography; we learn about nature, we go outside, we walk around the building, we walk around the neighborhood,” she explained.

The importance of extracurricular activities is becoming increasingly evident as more research begins to develop. In addition to helping students discover different career interests, it aids in developing social skills by giving students the opportunity to find like-minded peers who share their same interests and hobbies. According to a study done by the Montana State University Extension Service, students involved in extracurricular activities are more likely to take on leadership roles, more willing to complete tasks, more comfortable with stating their opinion, more likely to graduate from high school and more likely to have annual incomes of $50,000 or greater.

The benefits of arts education have been consistently proven to help raise student performance in core academic disciplines. According to a report by the Arts Education Partnership, students who are exposed to drama, music and dance may have a better chance at understanding reading, writing and math in comparison to those who focus exclusively on academics.

“Arts education improves academic achievement, builds leadership in students, and develops critical thinking skills to prepare our students for a global society,” said Program Manager Virginia T. Lam, who also serves as the Music Education Content Specialist for the School District of Philadelphia.

Teaching artist and dance teacher for the South Philadelphia Talent Center Ras Mikey, emphasizes the importance of stimulating and nurturing students’ creativity.

“There aren’t a lot of platforms to express yourself as a creative youth in most environments and it gives them an outlet — something that is different from their normal academic schedule, but then also (it) relates to the academics, but is ultimately about them expressing who they are and their identities,” he said.

It is well known that positive experiences play a fundamental role in raising a happy and healthy child and extra-curricular activities and after-school programming provide a less restrictive environment than formal school, where students are free to be themselves, relax, and have fun, which is evident by the happy ambiance and smiling faces that abound at both Talent Center sites. Between the stage make-up tutorials in the theater class at South Philadelphia, to the trendy glee club (in which a spot is highly coveted by the students) in the music class at the Northwest site — excitement and creativity pulsate throughout both Centers with students who are eager to learn, try new activities, and make new friends.

“The Talent Center means a lot to us; the students, the chaperones, and the teachers,” Meryi said.

“We make new friends; we learn. We learn new things with our friends; new things that you’ve never learned before.”

The Regional Talent Centers are made possible by a grant of federal funds by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education Pennsylvania “21st Century Community Learning Centers” Program. For information on the Regional Talent Centers, go to www.philasd.org/talentcenters or contact Virginia T. Lam at (215) 400-5974.