“The Youth Outreach Program isn’t just about theatre; it is about teaching our youth important personal and life skills to carry with them for the rest of their lives. It is about building connections with others and respecting each others’ differences … It is about having that bravery, that courage, to step onto a stage and allow their passion to shine.”
-Deborah Dodaro, OTC Youth Outreach Founder
Oceanside Theatre Company is dedicated to making theatre accessible to all ages and to providing theatre arts education in our community. As part of our mission, OTC partners with Title I schools to offer After-School Drama Outreach at school sites throughout Oceanside’s school districts including: Jefferson Middle School, Laurel Elementary, Libby Elementary, and Mission Elementary. This free programs teaches at-risk youth about the theatre arts while also building self-confidence, cooperation, creativity, and trust. Studies show student involvement in the arts improves academic performance, lowers dropout rates, and fosters better attitudes about community service. OTC is committed to bringing arts education to the youth in our community by filling the gap left by the elimination of arts education in local schools.
Activities include theatre and drama-related workshops, rehearsals and performances including acting exercises, improv, voice, dance, scriptwriting, stage design, prop and costume creation.
Student Reviews
4th Grade:
5th Grade:
Meet the Instructors
Gabriela Jimenez
Jimenez graduated from UC Berkley with a B.A. in Sociology and is an Elev8 Literacy and Enrichment Specialist with AmeriCorps-Safe Passages. As Honors Scholar Program Navigator at MiraCosta College, where she earned her A.A. in Liberal Arts with an Emphasis in Social and Behavioral Sciences she was the only Latinx student on staff in her department at a Hispanic Serving Institute. A member of Phi Theta Kappa National Honors Society and Regents & Chancellor’s Scholars Association, she lead the Equity and Inclusion board. Jimenez is also a poet.
Sponsored by Oceanside Unified School District and
