UACDC’s Prodigy Youth to Perform at Community Arts Festival

Students from the University Area Community Development Corporation’s (UACDC) Prodigy program will be singing, rapping, dancing and showcasing their art at UACDC’s Arts Rise! Festival. The first ever Arts Rise! North Tampa Festival of the Arts will take place on Saturday, Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at UACDC’s community center, located at 14013 North 22nd Street in Tampa. It is free to all and will feature local creative arts-based businesses, nonprofits, residents and schools in the University and Tampa Bay area.

Prodigy is a research‐based diversion, intervention and prevention program for at-risk youth ages 7-17 to learn communication, problem‐solving and conflict resolution skills through visual and performing arts. Prodigy currently serves more than 3,000 youth in seven West Central Florida counties and is operated by the UACDC in Tampa.

“Prodigy is an important part of this festival because the program positively transforms the lives of youth by teaching constructive life skills through arts,” said Mara Latorre, program assistant for the University Area Prodigy location. “It allows kids to express themselves through something they truly love to do.”

In addition to the performances, Prodigy will showcase original artwork by students from all of the program locations. Prodigy will also offer a children’s art corner, featuring fun arts and crafts activities, where kids and parents can work together in exploring and channeling their inner creativity.

Prodigy’s display will have brochures, pamphlets and class schedules, as well as program applications in both English and Spanish for parents and attendees interested in the program.

“Visual and performing arts are an important part of the development of our community,” said UACDC CEO, Dan Jurman. “We believe cultural arts can transform lives of families within the University Area, giving them a safe and unique environment to learn and express themselves.”

As a program under the UACDC Partners Coalition, the Arts Rise! North Tampa Festival of the Arts serves as an effort to bring various nonprofits, businesses and religious organizations together to address issues in the community. Working to improve safety, health, education, employment and housing, the UACDC saw the need to include the arts as a way to bring residents together.

For more information about Prodigy or participating as an artist in the festival, please contact Mara Latorre at (813) 558-5212 x217 or [email protected].

About Prodigy
Prodigy is a research‐based diversion, intervention, and prevention program that provides a safe arena where at risk youth ages 7-17 learn communication, problem‐solving and conflict resolution skills through visual and performing arts. Prodigy currently serves more than 3,000 youth in seven West Central Florida counties and is operated by the UACDC in Tampa. For more information about Prodigy, please visitwww.transformingyounglives.org.

About UACDC
The University Area Community Development Corporation, Inc. (UACDC) is a 501(c)(3) public/private partnership whose mission is children and family development, crime prevention and commerce growth. Its primary focus is the redevelopment and sustainability of the at-risk areas surrounding the Tampa campus of the University of South Florida. The UACDC was named nonprofit of the year for public and societal benefit by the Tampa Bay Business Journal in 2011 and 2012. It is headquartered in the University Area Community Center Complex, owned by Hillsborough County and operated by the UACDC, which is located at 14013 North 22nd Street in Tampa. For more information about UACDC, please visit www.uacdc.org or call Dan Jurman at (813) 558-5212 ext. 208.

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