Two years ago, Charisma Holly was home sick, watching her favorite musical, when she found herself wishing her school had a theatre program. The next day, staff from Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit visited her classroom to share information about their afterschool, in-school residency, and summer learning programs.

Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit inspires and empowers youth through theatrical arts. Youth in grades 3-12 work with and learn from artistic professionals to gain leadership, communication, problem-solving, time management, and other skills that help prepare them for college and career pathways. They benefit from expert training, mentoring, and new opportunities in an environment of high expectations, active participation, and belonging.

“Even though I’ve always been an outgoing person, I was afraid to be vulnerable and try new things. Being a part of Mosaic showed me that by letting all the parts of me shine, I have a lot more interests and skills than I thought I did. It helped me come out of the shell I was hiding in,” said 16-year-old Charisma.

“Here we are two years later at the Capitol,” laughed Charisma after delivering a spoken word piece in front of 300 youth, afterschool staff, and policymakers at the Michigan Afterschool Partnership (MASP)’s Capitol Day event in May. Charisma served as a youth ambassador for MASP, a role that empowered her to advocate for afterschool programs in her community and across the state.

Charisma’s spoken word piece, “Outreach,” highlighted the ways afterschool has opened up a world of possibilities for her and the critical need for more programs.

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“One thing I’ve learned in afterschool is that my voice is powerful. The words you speak have an impact. If you say, ‘I want to try out a new skill but am not sure where to start,’ Mosaic staff members are like, ‘What do you need?,’” said Charisma. 

Afterschool programs such as Mosaic are preparing Michigan youth for their futures. Charisma’s program has taken her on field trips to local colleges and helped her build life skills that will serve her beyond the classroom. 

“They teach you to advocate for yourself. I’ve learned a lot about networking and professionalism,” she said. “College is right around the corner for me, and Mosaic provides an opportunity to find out what I want to do in the future.”

At Mosaic, 97% of youth ensemble members are accepted into college and believe that they are capable of achieving their goals. Most Mosaic young artists graduate with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

But most critically, afterschool programs help youth build connections–with their peers, program staff, families, and communities.

“If you wear that Mosaic shirt and go anywhere, there is someone’s sister or brother who was in the program. All the friends I’ve made there are lifelong friends,” said Charisma.