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SteppingStone Theatre for Youth Development.

There's a story in each word of our name.

SteppingStone:

We view our work as a very special point in a child's journey to adulthood. The experiences that they have by participating in our programs, or even sitting in the audience at a show can be transformative. A couple of years ago, we were filming students talking about what they liked about SteppingStone Theatre. One boy, a Hmong refugee recently transplanted to Minnesota, was too scared to go on camera until the very end of the evening when we asked one last time if anyone else wanted to talk. At that point he stepped up and said he would. What did he say? "When I first came to SteppingStone, I was really shy. Now it's like, forget your shyness! Get out and do it!"

Theatre:

There are many ways that kids can gain the confidence and skills that they learn at SteppingStone Theatre. Theatre programs don't only teach communication and collaboration skills in the abstract, they get inside you, and become a part of you. What better way to understand a culture than to perform its stories? What better way to understand the creative process than by writing and performing your own show? In what other youth leadership program can your work be applauded by 10,000 people?

For:

Yes! I said every word told a story, and even the "For" tells a story. For many theatres, a show is something they perform TO an audience. That's not what we do at SteppingStone Theatre. To us, a performance is shared with the audience, is not complete without an audience, and is as much an experience for the audience as it is for the young performers. Our highest goal in our performances is for our young audience members to think, "That could be me up there! I could do that!"

Youth:

This is the word that is so very important to us. We are indeed a children's theatre. Every last bit of work we do is with and for youth! Our actors are youth. Our students are youth--as young as 2 years old! The people we serve in the community are youth. Because we know that youth grow up! They become adults. They become teachers, managers, lawyers, parents, neighbors, and some even become actors. One of our former youth performers is now our City Councilmember!

Development:

This is where YOU come in!

We can't do ANY of this work without YOUR help. A donation today--even as little as $10.00--will help us to keep our programs strong, help us develop new programs for youth, and help us to develop a Steppingstone Theatre for the next generation of youth!

 

How We Use Your Money

SteppingStone Theatre has been a responsible and thrifty steward of public and private funds for its entire 21-year history, and has never had an operating deficit.

The following charts show our Expenses by Program, Income by Program, and the sources of our contributions. These numbers are based on our 2008-2009 budget year.