As the room hushed and the curtains opened, Nina Portugal, a teacher at Life Academy of Health and Bioscience, looked up at the stage with pride. After weeks of hard work put in by her and over 30 of her high school students, the opening night of their very own spin-off of Grease the Musical was finally happening.
The production was put on to support and encourage the students of Life Academy, especially those who have an interest in acting, set design, singing, dancing, and stage management. The entire production was student led, which gave students a chance to explore their passions, get creative, and gain some experience in a production. These students often don’t get enough opportunities like these to explore the arts, especially when attending a school where science and math are so heavily emphasized.
Thanks to an Ed Fund A-Z Fund mini-grant and the hard work of Nina Portugal and her students, Grease was a success.
“The grant made such a huge difference in making this production come to life at no costs to my pockets or my students,” said teacher Nina Portugal. “Last year we had to ask students to contribute money and I ended up spending a lot of my own, so putting this production on without fiscal stress was truly a gift.”
Do you want to support Oakland students and help create amazing opportunities for them like this Grease production? You’ll be joining hundreds of others who are dedicated to the growth of Oakland’s youth and community and who want to help create equitable, excellent public education. Make a gift to our A-Z Fund here. Thank you!