First Lady Michelle Obama Honors Rosie's Theater Kids at the White House Today

Today, November 17th, Marianna Bottier, 15-years-old, of New York City, will visit the White House to receive an award from First Lady Michelle Obama on behalf of Rosie's Theater Kids (RTKids), which will be recognized for its effectiveness in promoting learning and life skills in young people by engaging them in the creative youth development programs. The RTKids ACTE II (A Commitment to Excellence) scholarship program will receive the 2015 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, the nation's highest honor for these programs.

The award recognizes the country's best creative youth development programs for using engagement in the arts and the humanities to increase academic achievement, graduation rates, and college enrollment. The awardees -- chosen from a pool of more than 350 nominations and 50 finalists -- were also recognized for improving literacy and language abilities, communication and performance skills, and cultural awareness.

First presented in 1998, the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award is the signature program of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH). The awards are presented annually in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

"Having the chance to represent my peers in accepting this award from the First Lady of the United States in the White House will be an experience that I'll never forget," said Marianna. "Rosie's Theater Kids changed my life for the better, and I am incredibly grateful to be a part of the program. It is such an honor to be here and it is heartwarming to know that RTKids, and programs like RTKids, are recognized and valued."

RTKids is one of the largest arts-in-education programs serving New York City public school students, and one of the only organizations that provide all services free of charge to the students and the schools. Since its founding in 2003, they have influenced the lives of over 50,000 New York City school students from grades pre-K through 12th grade, many whom have never had the opportunity to see a Broadway show or experience the thrill of seeing live art performances. More than 82 percent RTKids students are from low-income communities. RTKids also provides thoughtful mentoring and structured academic guidance with the goal to inspire excellence, motivate learning, build confidence and spark a lifelong appreciation for the arts.

In addition to the national recognition bestowed by receipt of the prestigious award, RTKids will also receive $10,000 to support its programming and engage more young people from the community.

"We hope this award will draw attention to the documented fact that programs like ours are essential investments not just in the lives of our young people, but in our community, as well," Co-Founder & Artistic Director Lori Klinger added. "We're incredibly grateful for our tremendous Board of Directors, dedicated staff, and generous supporters, who continually make this program possible."

"You can't help but be moved by these kids, who show us the transformative power of the arts and humanities," said Rachel Goslins, Executive Director of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. "They are staying in school longer, getting better grades, graduating from high school, and going on to college at significantly higher rates than their peers. And they're building skills that will last them a lifetime."

The award was also celebrated by a number of its long-time partners and supporters, including U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

"For over a decade, Rosie's Theater Kids has been dedicated to the development of our children through theater and the performing arts," said Gillibrand. "This is a fitting recognition of their work to help nurture our children's creativity and develop artistic talents that will serve them for their whole lives."

For more information about RTKids, visit RosiesTheaterKids.org. For more information about the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards, visit www.pcah.gov.

Rosie's Theater Kids (RTKids) is an arts education organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children through the arts. RTKids serves students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to experience theater, positively changing the trajectory of their lives by providing comprehensive classes in music, dance and drama; thoughtful mentoring; and structured academic guidance. Their goal is to inspire excellence, motivate learning, uplift the human spirit, build confidence, and spark a lifelong appreciation for the arts. For more information about RTKids, visit www.rosiestheaterkids.org.

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