Creative Kids
The Creative Kids Program brings professional theater training to schools in underserved communities throughout Metro Atlanta at no cost to schools or students thanks to our generous donors.
This year, we’re serving more schools and students!
The Impact:
Creative Kids is Out of Hand Impact’s educational program for children. We offer free, year-long, in-school and after-school theater classes for students in under-resourced schools in Metro Atlanta.
Over 90% of Creative Kids students are economically disadvantaged. 96% of students improved in communication, collaboration, creativity, and confidence, based on pre-and post-program teacher assessments.
58% showed more than 50% growth—proof of the deep, lasting impact that sustained, high-quality arts engagement can have.
In the 2025-26 school year, we served:
591 Students
656 Classes
Across 9 Schools including:
The Ansley School
Barack and Michelle Obama Academy
Benteen Elementary School
Burgess-Peterson Academy
Boyd Elementary School
Continental Colony Elementary
Hope Hill Elementary
Peace Preparatory Academy
Perkerson Elementary School
Arts N Action Summer Camp
Arts N Action was created in 2026 to fill a gap in accessible summer arts programming while empowering students to become leaders through visual and performing arts.
Centered around the question, “how can my creations change the world?”, the two-week pilot program encouraged students to use creativity as a tool for self-expression, advocacy, collaboration, and community building.
When asked what their favorite part of camp was, one parent responded:
“Everything, but mostly watching my child be creative and smiling every day.”
Closing the Gap
The City of Atlanta faces one of the nation’s largest economic gaps, which means the opportunity gaps for students born into high poverty and under-resourced neighborhoods are huge compared to an average middle-class Atlantan. Out of Hand is working to close those gaps through art.
Creative Kids’ free training classes teach confidence, communication, collaboration, and creative problem-solving skills that will serve our students at home, in the classroom, and beyond. According to a study from the National Endowment of the Arts, students in high-poverty communities that have arts-rich experiences are five times more likely to graduate from high school and three times more likely to receive a B.A. than their peers without access to the arts. Even in communities with less access to the arts.
Out of Hand is committed to providing high-quality arts education at no cost to the students or school, but we can only do that through generous support from grants and individual donors. If you would like to support this work, we hope you will consider sponsoring a student, teacher, or school.
2026 Teaching Artists
Gem Marc Collins, (aka Marc Collins) is an actor who was born to Garton Collins and Hesbon Collins on January 10th, 2001 in Snellville, Georgia. The first striking thing that anyone will see with Gem is his contagious smile followed by his infectious attitude toward life. From jumping on the church stage to dance with the choir at the age of 4 to being a young man thriving in the Atlanta Area, Gem has kept true to his name by...well keeping true to his name, being a Gem wherever he goes. He has kept God first always and stayed true to his core values of treating people with love first before judgment. Gem studied Acting at Oxford University in the United Kingdom through the Study Abroad Program at Oglethorpe University and definitely left his 'Marc' across the pond. While there, he was admitted into the Oxford School of Drama for acting, and was able to showcase his talent at an Open Mic event at the Oxford University. Coming back to his home university, Gem has been the Class President for three years, and has continued to encourage students to pursue their dreams not only after college but during college as well. Gem Marc Collins attends Oglethorpe University with a Full Tuition Theatre Scholarship in Atlanta, Georgia.
Marc Collins
Continental Colony Elementary School
Perkerson Elementary School
John Edward Doyle Jr. is a Storyteller, Actor and Teaching Artist. He is the founder of Arts Education Integration Agency LLC, a company that integrates creative arts into the educational setting. John’s passion is in arts and education, and he has had the great opportunity to blend those two in his career. John also created programming for Kaiser Permanente creating the Male Empowerment Workshop for middle school boys. He is a current performer with Teaching Museum, Georgia Ensemble Theater Arts in Education, Tattle Tales Productions, and his own company Arts Education Integration Agency.
John Doyle
The Ansley School
Hope Hill Elementary
Toomer Elementary
Burgess-Peterson Academy
Zaria has been studying acting for over 6 years. As a student at Georgia State University, she's studying acting and education. She has performed around Metro Atlanta for Out of Hand Theater and various other productions. Zaria has had a plethora of training from many successful actors around the world. She hopes to inspire students through the arts as many have done for her.
Zara Flanigan
Barack & Michelle Obama Academy
Peace Preparatory Academy
Chantal Maurice is a professional actress, acting coach, writer, and producer with more than a decade of experience in film and television. A SAG-AFTRA performer, she has appeared in numerous television and film projects, including ALLBLK’s Wicked City, where she starred for three seasons. As the founder of CoStar Coaching, Chantal is passionate about helping actors build confidence, strengthen their craft, and discover their unique voices as storytellers. She brings that same passion into the classroom, creating a fun, supportive environment where young artists can explore their creativity through acting, movement, and play.
Chantal Maurice
Kimberly Elementary
Ebony Tucker began her journey as a teaching artist with the Alliance Theatre in 2012. She is an avid arts advocate, sharing her passion with young people under the umbrella of Out of Hand Theatre as well. Before working for those companies, she was the Director of Theatre at Studio 3 Performing Arts Academy in Arizona. Ebony has two master degrees; her 1st is from the University of Alabama in Theatre Management/Arts Administration and her second, a MFA in Theatre for Youth from Arizona State. She has taught youth performing arts classes for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Christian Youth Theatre Atlanta. At Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Ebony created digital stories with patients in the hematology and oncology clinic. Her passion for theatre lies in giving young people an opportunity to share their story.
Ebony Tucker
Benteen Elementary
Coretta Scott King Young Women's Leadership Academy
Delisa Hardnick is a professional actor who has had an interest in acting from a very young age. Her first performance was when she was 9 years old in a community theatre production of Anne of Green Gables. She graduated from Georgia State University in 2024 and hopes to share her love of acting with the students she teaches.
Delisa Hardnick
YMCA Buckhead (Serving Bolton&Boyd Elementary students)
Jason C. Louder is an acclaimed actor, teacher, coach,and producer from Atlanta, Georgia. Known for his breakout role as Remi Ransom in BMF (STARZ), he has also appeared in Black Lightning (CW), Wu-Tang: An American Saga (Hulu), NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS), The Wonder Years (ABC), and the Bollywood hit Simran. On stage, he has performed in over 30 productions, often inspiring audiences as “Babatunde the Griot.” As a producer, Jason’s credits include Pretty For A Big GURL, A Match Made in Heaven, and the Afro-futuristic Dragonborn. Whether acting or producing, Jason is dedicated to telling bold, truth-filled stories that move, challenge, and inspire.
Jason C. Louder
King Middle School
Teacher Sponsors
Theresa and Judson Stowe
Karen Paty
Kathy Waller
Stefani Ingram Fund