With the expansion in the South Jersey region, the GCSDW Board of Directors recognized and implemented a name change, to Learning Stages in 2000. The Board also expanded programming to begin to serve a need in children's theater, original work written and preformed by area youth, and community collaborations with organizations like the Girl Scouts of the South Jersey Pines and area Boys and Girls Clubs, Our collaborations include members of the community in theater making, allowing the community to find a voice in their creations. Since this pivotal point in 2000, Learning Stages has experienced growth in programming, hired several New Jersey teaching artists, and served the community needs of South Jersey residents.
Learning Stages' goals are:
Organization growth:
Support programs and projects through staffing and board development.
Hands-on learning:
Teach young people about theater by actually doing it; teach life skills as team building, conflict resolution and decision making
Strive to be inclusive:
Board, students and audiences provide equal access to exonomically disadvantaged children
Foster personal expression through theater:
Provide a safe environment where children can learn and find their voice through the theater process.
Arts advocacy:
Train people to be engaged in the arts and recognize the power that the arts can have to record culture and history
Founded in 1991, as the Gloucester County Summer Drama Workshop (GCSDW). The organization provided a workshop setting for young people, ages 14-24, to learn hands-on how to produce mainstage and one-act productions, from acting to marketing. At the organization's 10th year mark, GCSDW had expanded beyond the Gloucester County area, providing educational theater opportunities for Camden, Burlington, Cumberland and Salem County youth.
