Out of Hand Theater’s Creative Kids Program brings professional theater training to schools in underserved communities throughout Metro Atlanta at no cost to schools or students.
Out of Hand Theater’s Creative Kids Impact
2024/25 School Year
7 Schools
550+ Students
450+ Classes
Schools:
Barack and Michelle Obama Academy
Benteen Elementary School
Continental Colony Elementary
International Community School
Peace Preparatory Academy
Perkerson Elementary School
Hope Hill Elementary
Creative Kids is an Out of Hand Theater Educational Program for children. We offer free, year-long, in-school and after-school theater classes for students in 6 Atlanta under-resourced schools; including Barack and Michelle Obama Academy (BAMO), Hope Hill Elementary, Perkerson Elementary, International Community School, Peace Preparatory Academy, and Continental Colony Elementary. For the 2024-2025 school year, Out of Hand’s Creative Kids will serve 300 students with 550 classes, free for school and students!
Closing the Gap
The City of Atlanta faces one of the nation’s largest economic gaps, which means the opportunity gaps for students born into high poverty and under-resourced neighborhoods are huge compared to an average middle-class Atlantan. Out of Hand is working to close those gaps through art.
Through free training classes, we teach confidence, as well as communication, collaboration, and creative problem-solving skills that will serve our students at home, in the classroom, and beyond. According to a study from the National Endowment of the Arts, students in high-poverty communities that have arts-rich experiences are five times more likely to graduate from high school and three times more likely to receive a B.A. than their peers without access to the arts. Even in communities with less access to the arts.
Out of Hand is committed to providing high-quality arts education at no cost to the students or school, but we can only do that through generous support from grants and individual donors. If you would like to support this work, we hope you will consider sponsoring a student, teacher, or school.
Sponsor a School: $8,000
Sponsor a Teacher; $4,000
2025 Teaching Artists
Cece Campbell is double majoring in theater and communication. at Oglethorpe University, She is a teaching artist with the Alliance Theater. She has performed in Heathers and Urinetown in a collaboration between Actors Express and Oglethorpe University. Outside of her job, she works as a princess for princess parties!
CeCe Campbell - Continental Colony Elementary
Gem Marc Collins, (aka Marc Collins) is an actor who was born to Garton Collins and Hesbon Collins on January 10th, 2001 in Snellville, Georgia. The first striking thing that anyone will see with Gem is his contagious smile followed by his infectious attitude toward life. From jumping on the church stage to dance with the choir at the age of 4 to being a young man thriving in the Atlanta Area, Gem has kept true to his name by...well keeping true to his name, being a Gem wherever he goes. He has kept God first always and stayed true to his core values of treating people with love first before judgment. Gem studied Acting at Oxford University in the United Kingdom through the Study Abroad Program at Oglethorpe University and definitely left his 'Marc' across the pond. While there, he was admitted into the Oxford School of Drama for acting, and was able to showcase his talent at an Open Mic event at the Oxford University. Coming back to his home university, Gem has been the Class President for three years, and has continued to encourage students to pursue their dreams not only after college but during college as well. Gem Marc Collins attends Oglethorpe University with a Full Tuition Theatre Scholarship in Atlanta, Georgia.
Marc Collins - Continental Colony Elementary School & Perkerson Elementary School
John Edward Doyle Jr. is a Storyteller, Actor and Teaching Artist. He is the founder of Arts Education Integration Agency LLC, a company that integrates creative arts into the educational setting. John’s passion is in arts and education, and he has had the great opportunity to blend those two in his career. John also created programming for Kaiser Permanente creating the Male Empowerment Workshop for middle school boys. He is a current performer with Teaching Museum, Georgia Ensemble Theater Arts in Education, Tattle Tales Productions, and his own company Arts Education Integration Agency.
John Doyle -
Hope Hill Elementary & International Community School
Sherri Favors is an educator, performer, and speaker from Decatur, GA. A graduate of Spelman, CSU, and SCAD, Sherri has utilized her passion for education and the arts to perform and educate young minds in the US and abroad. Sherri believes that true success is achieved when one becomes a master of their self.
Sherri Favors - Perkerson Elementary
Zaria has been studying acting for over 6 years. As a student at Georgia State University, she's studying acting and education. She has performed around Metro Atlanta for Out of Hand Theater and various other productions. Zaria has had a plethora of training from many successful actors around the world. She hopes to inspire students through the arts as many have done for her.
Zaria Flanigan -
Barack & Michelle Obama Academy & Peace Preparatory Academy
Teacher Sponsors
Theresa and Judson Stowe - Barack and Michelle Obama Academy
Kathy Waller - Perkerson Elementary School
Stefani Ingram Fund- Continental Colony Elementary School