Creative Kids Expands to More Schools and Adds 6-Week Middle School Workshop

Out of Hand Impact’s free youth program, Creative Kids, will now serve 14 schools during the 2026-2027 school year. Last year the program was only available to 9 schools. This year, Creative Kids also has the opportunity to move from after-school only programming to in-school classes for some locations and is bringing a 6-week workshop to two middle schools.

The expansion of Creative Kids into more schools allows Out of Hand to further its mission of closing the opportunity gap for students in high-poverty, under-resourced communities. Plus, bringing teaching artists into classrooms during the school day allows Creative Kids to reach more students, including those who may not have the access to participate in after-school only programs.

For King Middle School and Coretta Scott King Young Women's Leadership Academy students, one drama class from each school will get to experience the inaugural “Empowered Playmaking Workshop.”

The “Empowered Playmaking Workshop” is designed as a 6-week workshop for middle school students participating in an existing theater class program at their school. The aim is for students to complete the program having the tools to create theater that inspires critical community conversations. The foundation, a craft-first approach to issues-oriented theater.

Creative Kids’ teaching artists will work with students to harness the power of art to impact social change by selecting a community issue topic, creating a play addressing the topic, and fulfilling the various roles of theater production including: writing, casting, directing, producing, stage managing. The workshop culminates with a community gathering featuring a performance of the play, a discussion about the community-based topic and the creative process, and a shared meal. The showcase mirrors Out of Hand’s award-winning Equitable Dinners format.

The goal is to empower students to use grounded storytelling to create a compelling theatrical experience that sparks conversation and inspires social impact.

Thanks to continued sponsorships and individual donors, Creative Kids remains free for students to participate. Below are the participating schools for the 2026-2027 school year:

  • The Ansley School

  • Barack & Michelle Obama Academy

  • Benteen Elementary School

  • Burgess-Peterson Academy

  • Bolton Academy via YMCA Buckhead

  • Boyd Elementary School via YMCA Buckhead

  • Continental Colony Elementary School

  • Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy

  • Hope Hill Elementary School

  • Kimberly Elementary School

  • King Middle School

  • Peace Preparatory School

  • Perkerson Elementary School

  • Toomer Elementary School

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