The Blue Heart Foundation in partnership with the Old Globe Theater provided a night out for the youth and families from the HEART mentoring program. HEART (Higher Education And Rising Together) is a locally based mentoring program that is focused on the empowerment and education of under-served youth. Our program is based on nine (9) core competencies which fall under three categories: 1) Abilities, 2) Applications, and 3) Character. One piece of our program is to expose youth to events they may not normally have the opportunity to see and in the instance we viewed “Camp David,”
What would happen if you placed a born-again Christian, a pious Muslim and an orthodox Jew behind closed doors for thirteen days to try to find peace for their nations? This is the question Gerald Rafshoon, former President Jimmy Carter’s media advisor, posed to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lawrence Wright. The resulting theatrical piece, “Camp David,” directed by Molly Smith and now playing at the Old Globe is a fascinating and illuminating depiction of an unparalleled moment in history, the forging of the 1978 Camp David Accords, a diplomatic triumph, which, though imperfect and incomplete, has preserved peace–at least the non-presence of war–between Egypt and Israel during the ensuing three decades. Beyond the considerable historical impact and value of the play, which is enjoying its West Coast premiere, it is an immensely absorbing and personal portrait of three political figures, each driven by his own sense of humanity and higher purpose in an effort to achieve a lasting peace.
We believe culturally enriching field trips matter. They produce significant benefits for students on a variety of educational outcomes that schools and communities care about. The effects of field trips to see live theater demonstrates that seeing plays is an effective way to teach academic content; increases our youth’s tolerance by providing exposure to a broader, more diverse world; and improves the ability of students to recognize what other people are thinking or feeling. These are significant benefits for students on specific educational outcomes that schools pursue and communities respect. Especially when considered alongside our community service efforts.
You never know what may impact a child’s life. Not all learning occurs most effectively within the walls of a school building or classroom. Going on enriching field trips to cultural institutions makes effective use of all of a community’s resources for teaching children. You can never know what may impact a young man’s life… There’s nothing like seeing a group of young men engaged in a play that touches on both societal and historical issues.
