Two youth-oriented non-profits, Sharmoore and Voices, Community Stories Past and Present, Inc., will be merging into one in 2010.
Both organizations have spent the last few years reaching out to Tucson youth. Sharmoore, through their program Stories That Soar!, focuses on developing the voices of elementary students. Voices, Inc. focuses on youth ages 14 to 21.
Stories That Soar! asks elementary students to submit stories on any topic into a “magic box.” The Sharmoore crew then selects several of the best stories and develops them into a play. They then go to the school and perform a series of those stories for the students.
Voices focuses on older students, developing their story telling through magazine writing, radio or photojournalism. The students also develop their own ideas, but staff members help them develop it into a publishable piece.
“We will be a new agency and we’ll have a new mission vision and value, but we’re starting from a similar foundation,” explains Stephanie Balzer, executive director for Voices. “We both value empowering youth and using stories as an effective way to communicate.”
Sharmoore Executive Director Sharon O’Brien says a shared vision is what prompted the merger.
“The vision is the same and that’s why we’re such a great match,” O’Brien says. “We won’t have to change the essential part of what we are.”
The combined programs offer numerous ways to give youth more opportunities, says O’Brien.
“We have a lot of demand and to be able to connect older youth with younger youth is one of our goals,” she says.
O’Brien says she hopes there can be crossover between the programs, such as participants in Voices, Inc., helping out with the younger students in Sharmoore.
Another part of the vision for the combined programs is to allow for more continuity in the youth’s lives, says Katie Gindlesparger, writing director for Voices, Inc. She explained that an elementary school student could start with the Sharmoore program, being involved with Stories that Soar! and move on to Voices.
“The intent isn’t to change the program, but to allow a longer span of programming,” she says. “Wouldn’t it be cool if you’re five and you feed a story to the magic box and you discover you love writing? Then you could have programs to support you all the way until you’re 21.”
Voices, Inc.
Friendly banter fills what the students affectionately call “the basement” as the participants in the Voices radio program work on their current project.
Students work on laptops, provided by the program, as they strive to create a project that will eventually be published by a Voices sponsor or another publication. Volunteers like Devin Horn and Joshua Garcia help guide the students whenever they have questions.
“The fun part is seeing them begin something entirely from scratch that is theirs until completion,” Garcia says.
For Charlie Franco, 15, Voices has helped him develop and share his ideas with the community.
“Sharing your voice really makes you feel heard,” Franco says. Franco is currently working on a piece about the role of pro athletes as mentors in youth’s lives. His last piece was published professionally.
But for Franco, being part of Voices has been about more than just the stories he’s produced.
“Voices brings youth from different backgrounds together. It’s like being at school, but here I learn something new every day from my peers,” Franco says. “No two people here are the same and the people I work with are my friends now. I’ve learned so much from them.”
The students at Voices spend four days a week in “the basement,” which Voices rents from City High School. Two of the four days are spent training. Participants are paid for their time. The remaining two days are spent working. If the student has a piece published by a professional outlet, they are given a $50 bonus.
Students say what sets Voices apart from other programming is the involvement of all the staff. They often come down and teach classes.
“Stephanie comes down and is really involved,” Felix Valenzia, a second-year youth apprentice says. “She’s proud of what we produce down here.”
Franco agrees, saying that he never expected the staff to be so involved.
“When I got here I was surprised. I never feel distant from anyone in Voices,” Franco says.
Valenzia says Voices has helped him in other aspects of his life. He explains he is looking at universities to attend, and that Voices was integral in helping him come to the decision to go to college. They’ve also helped him with ACT and SAT prep, and letters of recommendation.
“I’m really proud to be part of this program because it helps a lot of kids even if they’re not still in the program and it’s amazing to know that Voices helped all these kids. They gave us that opportunity,” Valenzia says. “Once Voices is in your life, it’s in your life forever.”
Sharmoore
Hundreds of elementary school students sit in the cafeteria, rustling restlessly as the Sharmoore staff prepares their show. As the first actor steps up on stage, a hush falls over the students. For the next hour, the students are captivated, as the stories they wrote come to life.
“The kids are always so engaged,” says Pete Swan, musical director for Sharmoore. “When we look out, their mouths are hanging open, they’re laughing and totally involved.”
For Sharon O’Brien it’s no question that the program is impacting students.
“First-year principals are always worried about the students getting in trouble and not paying attention,” she explains. “But the kids are just mesmerized.”
O’Brien explains that the “magic box” they leave at the school to collect stories often has hundreds of papers jammed in to it. When they collect the box to pick the stories to bring to life, it’s difficult to choose because there are so many.
Seven actors from the community, including both professional actors and UA theater students, figure out how to interpret the story. They usually pick about 20 stories to perform in their one-hour show. The students have no idea which stories will be selected. After the performance, students that had their story selected are asked to come to the stage to be recognized.
“When kids are writing for the joy of writing, just to express themselves, we don’t look at spelling, grammar or punctuation, just the ideas behind it,” she says. “The kids learn that their ideas and words have meaning, purpose and value.”
The kids are allowed to choose any topic that they wish, which O’Brien says helps them understand that the stories they choose are part of how they can identify.
“When they see it on stage, it’s really telling,” O’Brien says. “It shows them that their stories can entertain, bring people together and they really do learn about the power of the written word.”
