day 199: the academy of arts

Two of our kids are gone this summer—ministering and working with an organization out of Taylors, South Carolina, The Academy of Arts. This ministry, founded nearly forty years ago by Dr. Nicky and Sherry Chavers, has been a blessing in our life—and I wanted to share it with our readers.


Specifically, our kids, Jonathan (nearly 18) and Kara (nearly 20), have traveled with their summer drama ministry over the past three summers. Jonathan is on the East Team this year and is playing Nichodemus in the original production, “Joseph of Arimethea” (written by Dr. Chavers). Kara is in their two year college program, an internship/Bible associates program in which students get hands on experience in drama ministry by traveling around and teaching drama to homeschool groups and Christian schools, as well as taking course work. This (the drama seminars for homeschool groups and Christian schools) is the part I would like to encourage families to participate in. (See Kara and Jonathan in costume in picture three of this link—aren’t they incredible??? Smile…http://fwahsdrama.org/album/mwc/index.html )


During the academic year, the Academy of Arts has drama seminar teams that travel around to Christian schools and homeschool groups and teach drama to students in kindergarten through high school (broken up into two age groups). Our local homeschool group, Fort Wayne Area Home Schools, has utilized this amazing service for five years now—and I can’t say enough good about it.


Their website describes the seminars in this way:



“The Drama Seminar & Camp Teams, consisting of qualified Directors, Tech Men and Costume/Make-up Supervisors, have been "making the Bible come alive" for Christian schools since 1973. The ministry is convinced of the effectiveness of drama in teaching solid, biblical principles and religious history and is committed to instilling a conservative, biblical worldview in philosophy, teaching students that they can and should serve God with their talents. Take a moment to look at the two different kinds of "camps" (Dramatic Word Seminars and Homeschool Drama Camps) we currently offer during the school year. “



So many drama opportunities for students are either incredibly secular (not in itself a bad thing, but they often become less than wholesome environments for kids) or extremely time consuming (several nights a week for months). The beauty of the A of A is that they come in and do in one week (full days for junior high and high school and half days for elementary) what often takes several weeks. AND they bring everything with them. You provide the facility, meals and housing for their teachers, and the K through 12th grade students-and they will provide everything else: the drama, make up, props, costumes, teachers (our Kara is one of them!), sounds, lights, godly instruction for the kids via devotionals and positive lifestyle examples, and much more.


It’s not too late for your homeschool group or Christian school to register for a seminar in the upcoming school year. Check out the links below!


Our homeschool group’s drama productions over the past few years (elementary and other—this will give you a great idea of what your group or school will end up with!): http://www.fwahsdrama.org/slideshow.html

Academy of Arts home page: http://www.theacademyofarts.org/main.html

Drama seminars for Christian schools and homeschool groups: http://www.theacademyofarts.org/dramaseminars.html

College/internship program: http://www.theacademyofarts.org/college.html

Pictures of college kids’ home production “Last Leaf” (close up blonde who is ill in the pic is our sweet Kara!): http://picasaweb.google.com/AcademyofArts1971/LastLeafAtTheLogos#

Another drama seminar’s pictures (“Man Without a Country”): http://www.theacademyofarts.org/Man%20Without%20A%20Country%202008/index.html