Funded by Debra Coggins and John Kikuchi

The Word for Word Youth Arts program at Z Space works with students to transform a work of literature they are studying in class into a staged performance. Students get the chance to watch professional actors perform one chapter, and then they work with teaching-artists to convert the rest of the book into a script and rehearse for their own performance. Students also work with a visual artist to create backdrops for the performance. The program culminates in a student performance before 400-500 family and friends. The Word for Word program helps bring literature alive, deepens reading comprehension, and engages students in the myriad benefits of live performance.

Find out more about Word for Word and Z Space at www.zspace.org