Dance Programs Empowering Youth

As 2014 came to a close, the DEA Educational Foundation Youth Dance Program celebrated its expansive reach to 31 cities nationwide. With continued efforts to meet a growing wait list, the DEA YDP is hopeful to reach over 35 cities by the end of 2015. Today, thousands of students are already participating in long-term classes and in some cities winter programs are kicking off with in-school interactive, positive and motivational assemblies. YDP students in all schools will perform at the end of the 2014-15 school year beginning as soon as April.

In Los Angeles, California the DEA YDP students from Sylvan Park Elementary were recently invited to perform for a DEA Educational Foundation event at the Beverly Hilton honoring Vince Gilligan of "Breaking Bad" and his important role in accurately portraying DEA and the dangers of methamphetamine in our society. A local DEA YDP scholarship student, Khloe,  also attended the event sharing her personal story on how the program helped her overcome issues in school. Khloe candidly shared, “I was constantly bullied…I thought that there was no way out and I just felt so trapped. When I felt that I had nowhere to go or stressed out dancing with this program helped me stop thinking about the bad things but to focus on the positive things. DEA Youth Dance Program truly helped me express my feelings and let me be myself. I haven't been dancing long with this program but they immediately took me in like family.”

The DEA Youth Dance Program looks forward to another impactful year in 2015 with the mission of reaching as many at-risk students as possible with the important message of drug and violence resistance through the expressive and powerful art form, dance.

Links:

• DEA Educational Foundation