CYT Alumni Performing in Spain this Summer

Posted on May 23, 2013 by jcortez

Jake Coffin and Brad Thuerbach are students at San Diego Christian College in the Performing Arts Department.

This summer they are part of the Vision team from the college performing in a musical group that also does drama sketches. They will be performing in churches, camps and schools at a variety of cities across Spain. Each year the SDCC Vision team travel to different countries sharing the gospel through music and drama. Some past trips these students have traveled to include Brazil, Israel, and Turkey.

Both Jake and Brad are graduates from CYT Tuscon where they have play many lead roles in CYT productions. Some of Jake’s favorite roles were Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast and The Cat in Seussical. They both received the CYT scholarship for Musical Theater to attend SDCC. This scholarship is available to every CYT student across America who are recommended by their Artistic Director.

Contributed by Paul Russell

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MyCYT Story: Kaitlyn Atchley

Posted on May 20, 2013 by jcortez

I have always thought myself a coward. I have never been the boldest, nor the strongest, or the most outspoken, and I have never been one to take risks.

As a kid I was the one who stayed home and pretended while others skinned their knees playing soccer and learned how to do cartwheels. I was the girl who drew dragons and wrote about other people having adventures at a safe and fictional distance. As I got older, I watched the special features of movies with an almost religious zeal, and was determined to soak up every ounce of the magic I found in the creation of fictional worlds, within the camera. That’s when I stepped into the theater.

When I arrived at CYT I was timid and awkward around new people, expecting to drift at the edge of groups as usual. Instead, to my horror, I was expected to not only participate but to be fully involved. Imagine, having to actually interact with people! I had no idea what I was doing, but the people around me pushed me forward. Encouraging, welcoming, I pressed onward and hurtled into the world of theater, a world that had been utterly foreign to me before.

And then suddenly, I was home. I could be me. I could express myself boldly without judgment and was in fact encouraged to do so and was able to fearlessly pursue this newest foreign world which was not fictitious and was tangible and real to me. My mentors and peers gave me what I had always been missing: courage.

And now, nearly two years later, I am a fuller and more realized person than my fifteen-year-old self could have ever imagined. I take pride in my work with CYT and consider my time with this community as a blessed time, one that is better than any world I had so safely constructed in fantasy as a kid. CYT has brought to me the courage to fiercely pursue my passions and to proclaim them to the world. Because of CYT I am able to step forward as a child of God in confidence and say “not by my will, but yours,” to embrace the future without fear of judgment or failure.

The courage found alongside the magic and enrichment of the world of theater, and how that dream intersects with a life determined to love other people and love God, has been an invaluable lesson that has made me who I am today. I have been blessed.

Contributed by Kaitlyn Atchley, CYT Santa Cruz & myCYT Story finalist

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The Impact of Grant Writing

Posted on May 20, 2013 by jcortez

Grant writing. To most, it’s not the most exciting topic in the world. It is, however, a great way to inform funders about the impact of CYT.

CYT is offering grant writing as a Leadership Workshop at the 2013 CYT Expo. The crash course will teach leaders the basic components of writing effective grants proposals, and give some insight into what panelists are looking for when reviewing them.

Speaker Anjanette Maraya-Ramey said those who attend will be made aware of the grant money available to CYTs.

“Leaders will feel motivated to research grants and learn the basic tools to write grants themselves,” said Maraya-Ramey.

Maraya-Ramey served as a grant panelist in Sacramento for the California Arts Council Creating Public Value program, as well as the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture Organizational Support program. Maraya-Ramey is a Certified Nonprofit Professional, with a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from USD.

Register for the “Grant Writing” workshop, here. In this interactive workshop participants will dissect the basic components of writing effective grant proposals, learn how to define community need, write measurable goals and objectives, develop clear budgets, and create an evaluation plan for measuring impact.

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Stepping Forward Into Reckless Faith

Posted on May 19, 2013 by jcortez

Reckless faith. It’s taking daring steps forward. It’s trusting God for huge things. And it doesn’t stick to safety nets and calm waters.

It’s also one of the four HYPE Workshops available to CYT students who attend the HYPE Conference at the 2013 CYT EXPO.

Students who attend will leave the workshop with a better understanding of God’s power and how to apply it. They will also understand their identity as God’s beloved, and obtain greater confidence to follow God’s unique call on their lives.

HYPE speaker, Ariana Rice, will be delving into what it means to have this bold and reckless faith.

“There is no such thing as ‘safe faith.’ Acting in faith always involves some degree of risk since you are taking steps without clear direction or an obvious outcome,” said Rice. “Our journeys with God can be so much more fruitful if we know that walking by faith is not supposed to be easy and comfortable all the time.”

Rice will not only be speaking- she’s also setting aside some to provide worship. According to the accomplished musician, “God communicates to us through music in a way that mere words cannot.”

Rice is also a CYT San Diego alum, and she participated in HYPE a year after it originated. She acknowledged that being a part of HYPE helped her grow as a leader, to take risks, and to serve others- all the while using her creativity.

“It’s so important for teens to begin taking on leadership roles and responsibilities early and gradually,” said Rice. “Everything meaningful involves risk and taking steps, even when you are not sure where exactly you are going or what the outcome will be.”

Register for the HYPE Conference at the 2013 CYT Expo, here. The cost of the conference will increase after May 20th.

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The Magic of the CYT Expo

Posted on May 16, 2013 by jcortez

The CYT Expo has affected my life in ways I didn’t even know were possible.

The 2011 CYT Expo was my first, and it held lots of magic. During that week, I met kids from all over the country who were as crazy as CYT Spokane kids, which is really quite amazing in itself. I made friends from all over, and shared my 15th birthday with everyone there (best birthday ever!). Although all those things are very important and fun, there were two things that really stood out.

I watched a new kind of passion emerge from us, both adults and kids, and we let God use us as servants.

From prayer circles, to giving uplifting notes to staff, to hearing your friends’ adventures about speaking tongues in the parking lot, God was there. You could feel Him, and He radiated. He broke down all of our barriers, and I was more or less forced to come out of my shell. I began to interact with people more, and it helped me grow in my leadership and self confidence.

The 2012 CYT Expo was different, but a good different. I found myself in positions that I had never imagined, like playing chicken with CYT Denver kids, filming a commercial, and watching Improv into the wee hours of the morning. During that Expo I made some of the best friends I’ve ever had. I still talk to these people daily, and they’re roadtripping to Spokane this summer. We have created a support system through each other- whether it’s getting through dress rehearsal week or encouraging through frustrating shifts at work.

The HYPE Conference is literally the best week of your year! It’s like summer camp, except you get to stay in a classy hotel, you get to meet people from all over the world with the same crazy passions as you, and the food is way better.

Yeah, it’s a lot of money to go. It’s beyond worth it though! It’s better than Christmas! You will grow in your leadership skills and your relationship with God. You get to see your old friends, meet new friends, and make some incredible memories.

The 2013 CYT Expo is going to be a blast. It’s Santa Cruz, how could it not be?! The question is, will I see you there? No, wait. I WILL see you there, cause this place is better than Disneyland.

Contributed by Layna Elder, CYT Spokane student

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Founder’s Corner: Performing Arts Brings a Sense of Fulfillment

Posted on May 14, 2013 by jcortez

You can see it all over George’s face. He is having the time of his life in the show Aladdin.

This picture was taken at CYT Sacramento’s opening weekend in May. The joy and fulfillment that is expressed on his face is loud and clear without a single word being said. That is the wonderful thing about the performing arts – it teaches us the value of faithfulness, focus and the sense of fulfillment.

Faithfulness is an important character trait that theater helps to instill into the lives of children. It teaches them the importance of being part of a team and how their part is important to make the final outcome successful. It’s important to be faithful or you will let down the entire cast. The importance of working hard, having perseverance and sticking with a project till the very end is one of life’s most important lessons. Lisa Phillips describes the importance of the Arts in her new book, “The Artistic Edge: 7 Skills Children Need to Succeed in an Increasingly Right Brain World.”

Focus is a Biblical principle that St. Paul teaches in his letter to Philippi. He makes it clear that the most important thing in life is not career, or station in life or even family. The most important thing in life is to be totally focused on knowing Christ. To teach focus one must be able to concentrate on one thing at a time. This is a hard lesson to teach in a world that is taught that multitasking is a good thing. In reality we tend to get a lot of things done but not well. Doing one thing well is a more desired commodity. Theater forces a student to concentrate on one thing at a time. Learn the song, learn the dance, or learn your lines, and focus on getting the show ready for opening night. One has to focus, concentrate, and not be distracted for the show to be performed well.

Fulfillment has been defined as a job that has been performed well and worthy of recognition. Performing arts, in particular, has immediate recognition when the audience applauds at the end of a wonderful performance. I know as a parent I love to applaud for my children when they do something difficult and accomplish a task that they have done well. What a great feeling to know that you’ve worked hard at something and other people acknowledge that accomplishment. That’s what you can see in George’s expression – sheer joy and fulfillment.

Can you imagine how our Heavenly Father loves to applaud his children when they do a good job? Now that is a feeling of fulfillment. Using our God-given talents to serve others. Sheer joy and fulfillment.

Contributed by Paul Russell

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CYT San Diego’s Camp Bundle

Posted on May 12, 2013 by jcortez

CYT San Diego is offering a Camp Bundle, otherwise known as CYT Teen Camp AND Alice Advanced Camp, for $400 dollars.

Students who attend will receive two weeks of professional training. The Camp Bundle ends May 31st. You can purchase the bundle, here.

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