San Francisco Chronicle - Sunday, November 2, 2008
Shelah Moody, Chronicle Staff Writer

YouthAware, which receives funding from the San Francisco Unified School District and private donors, produces seven plays that are performed at elementary, middle and high schools around Northern California. Some of the plays are also presented at the New Conservatory Theatre. The cast is an ethnically diverse group of professional actors who portray high school students.

"It's much easier for the kids to connect emotionally through theater because they are seeing characters like themselves deal with the issues onstage," said Staley, who did a brief stint in television and film production in Los Angeles before finding her calling with YouthAware in 2001. "Each program comes with a postshow discussion with the cast."

"The Other Side of the Closet" by Canadian playwright Ed Roy centers on homophobia and bullying and has been one of the most popular plays since its premiere in 2000. "Cootie Shots," a new play from Fringe Benefits in Los Angeles, teaches elementary school students about bigotry and how to prevent bullying. "Get Real," by Doug Holsclaw, addresses HIV prevention, and "Gorgeous," by British playwright Anna Furse, deals with body image. "OutSpoken," by Prince Gomolvilas, which runs in the spring, was designed to educate young people on the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act.

"Young people today are grappling with a lot more issues than I did during my high school years," said Staley. "It's a constantly changing world, and they have so much to deal with, yet it surprises me how ready and willing they are to talk about these issues."

Staley said that some of their plays about HIV and sexual orientation were not immediately embraced by some school districts in the past. But, she said, "even in communities where the parents and teachers aren't ready to talk about these issues, the kids are always willing and ready. They need to have an outlet, a place where they can feel safe to discuss" things.

Staley's goal is to expand YouthAware programs to other parts of Northern California such as the Central Valley, where she sees an increasing need for education on school safety.

For more information, go to www.nctcsf.org.

Each week, The Chronicle features a Bay Area resident who has won a Jefferson Award for making a difference in his or her community. The awards are administered by the American Institute for Public Service, a national foundation that honors community service. Bay Area residents profiled in The Chronicle are also featured on CBS 5-TV and KCBS-AM, which are Jefferson Award media partners, along with The Chronicle.

E-mail Shelah Moody at smoody@sfchronicle.com.
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