The Penguin Project at Altoona Community Theatre Presents
ANNIE JR
This production was made possible by a partnership with the Altoona Area School District; grants from The T.Dean Lower and Jane Young Lower Trust and the Zack Hinish Foundation; and a donation from UPMC Altoona.
Thank you to the over 550 audience members who came to support our inaugural Penguin Project performance!
Altoona Community Theatre needs your help to continue this as an annual event. Please consider making a donation to help fund The Penguin Project at ACT at the link below.
If you’re interested in participating in the Penguin Project at ACT or learning more, please join us for our Penguin Project Holiday Party on December 2 from 2-4 PM in the ACT Rehearsal Hall, 1213 12th Street (Downtown Altoona). RSVP to act@altoonacommunitytheatre.com
You can also submit your contact information below to receive updates as we have them for next year’s show.
The Penguin Project® is a National Foundation with chapters throughout the United States, and Altoona Community Theatre is proud to bring the project to central Pennsylvania. The goal of the project is to provide a supportive environment for children with disabilities to explore their creative talents.
The Foundation was created in 2004 by Dr. Andrew Morgan, Professor Emeritus of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. Through his work, Dr. Morgan realized how children with special needs and their families often lack opportunities for community activities, sometimes making them feel isolated. Participation in the performing arts has specific therapeutic value in enhancing socialization, communication skills, and self-esteem, so he conceived the Penguin Project as a way for special needs children to be involved in an enriching social and creative outlet where their needs can be accommodated.
Goals of The Penguin Project®
- To provide an opportunity for children with special needs to develop creative skills related to the theater arts
- To provide an opportunity for children with special needs to participate in a community theater experience
- To facilitate interaction between children with special needs and their age-level peers through joint participation in a community theater experience
- To facilitate an appreciation of the challenges faced by children with special needs and their families
- To identify the impact of a community theater experience on the communication skills, socialization, and self-confidence of children with special needs
- To facilitate interaction among medical, developmental, educational, and theater professionals through participation in a common community project
- To provide a forum for support and interaction for families of children with special needs