Altoona Community Theatre: The Penguin Project

Hosted by Altoona Community Theatre.

The Penguin Project is open to any individual age 8 to 21 with developmental disabilities including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, visual and hearing and other neurological disorders.

The Penguin Project utilizes a “peer mentor” system, linking each young artist with children the same age without disabilities who have volunteered to work side-by-side with them through rehearsals and through the final performance.

Program Goals:

• To provide an opportunity for children with special needs to develop creative skills related to the theater arts.
• To provide an opportunity for children with special needs to participate in a community theater experience.
• To facilitate interaction between children with special needs and their age-level peers through joint participation in a community theater experience.
• To facilitate an appreciation of the challenges faced by children with special needs and their families.
• To identify the impact of a community theater experience on the communication skills, socialization, and self-confidence of children with special needs.
• To facilitate interaction among medical, developmental, educational, and theater professionals through participation in a common community project.
• To provide a forum for support and interaction for families of children with special needs.

You can find out more about the project and registration opportunities via the link below.