Community Outreach

For Schools, Groups and Families

2025 AEVIDUM CONFERENCE with YOUTH VOLUNTEER CORPS

NEIGHBORHOOD BRIDGES

SUMMER LIBRARY TOUR

Outreach at Yocum Institute for Arts Education
The Yocum Institute for Arts Education brings the transformative power of the arts directly into schools, libraries, and community spaces across Berks County. Our Outreach programs break down barriers to arts access while fostering creativity, critical thinking, self-expression and resilience in children, teens, and adults.

Addressing Mental Health Through the Arts

Elementary Offering

Yocum Institute for Arts Education has created an interactive theater assembly to address mental health challenges our elementary students are facing. This piece was created with guidance from mental health professionals, as well as elementary school principals, guidance counselors and emotional support teachers, and addresses topics including empathy, listening and respect. The script talks about how complicated our feelings can be, what we can do for self-regulation, examples of how to handle situations in the classroom and tips for positive behavior. The experience is geared for 2nd and 3rd graders. Thanks to the support of a COVID-19 ARPA PA Arts & Culture Recovery Program (PACR) Grant Yocum is able to provide this experience at no cost to schools this spring.
Based on timing, we are coordinating one assembly per school, combining 2nd & 3rd grades, with AM and PM time frames available on dates in April and May. We anticipate the show to run about 45 minutes but we are asking you to block off an hour just to allow for some wiggle room.

Please use this link to sign up for a date and either morning or afternoon time slot that works for your school! Once you select a date/time, it will no longer be available for others to select.
After selecting a date through SignUp Genius, a link to Google Form will be sent to the contact listed with some additional details about the program and to gather information from you to assist us with planning and logistics to bring the theater assembly to your students.
In partnership with VOiCEup Berks and the Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading, Yocum Institute is proud to present At Some Point —a groundbreaking, youth-driven play addressing mental health. Created with input from YVC’s Youth Mental Health Ambassadors, this powerful production confronts issues such as suicide awareness, stigma, and the importance of open dialogue.
This initiative is supported in part thought a grant from PA Department of Community Economic Development.

Middle & High School Offering

In partnership with VOiCEup Berks and the Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading, Yocum Institute is proud to present At Some Point —a groundbreaking, youth-driven play addressing mental health. Created with input from YVC’s Youth Mental Health Ambassadors, this powerful production confronts issues such as suicide awareness, stigma, and the importance of open dialogue.
This initiative is supported in part thought a grant from PA Department of Community Economic Development.

Summer Library Tour
Digging Up the Past

Yocum Institute for Arts Education’s annual Summer Library Tour brings live youth theater performances to public libraries and other organizations across Berks County, PA. This summer’s production is Digging Up the Past, an imaginative, interactive theatrical experience that brings history, mystery, and discovery to life. Blending elements of science, storytelling, and global folklore, this original production explores what happens when we uncover the secrets buried beneath us, whether they’re ancient fossils, lost artifacts, or the hidden stories of cultures long forgotten.
Created and directed by Joel Richard Gori, this dynamic production weaves together performance and audience interaction, inviting participants to become explorers themselves by piecing together clues, engaging with characters, and uncovering stories that connect the past to the present. From dinosaur discoveries to folktales unearthed across the world, each moment reveals how what we find can reshape what we know.
Yocum’s goal through the Summer Library Tour is to engage audiences of all ages through creativity and collaboration, and all performances are free and open to the public. Last year’s production reached more than 500 community members.
This summer, join us as we uncover the past…one story at a time.

Audition Opportunity:
We are seeking curious, creative performers, ages 18 to 30, eager to collaborate on a unique, ensemble-driven production. This is a chance to help build a show from the ground up, contribute ideas, and bring history-inspired storytelling to life in unexpected ways. Cast will receive a stipend for their participation.
Auditions will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 6pm, at Yocum Institute for Arts Education. If you are interested in auditioning, please click here for more information and to complete an audition form, or contact Kristin Gehris at kgehris@yocuminstitute.org.
Now Booking Partner Organizations (July 6-24, 2026):
Perfect for libraries, senior living communities, community centers and cultural organizations, Digging Up the Past is designed to travel and adapt to a variety of spaces. With its interactive format and educational themes, the production offers an engaging experience that sparks curiosity and participation across all ages during its limited summer run.
Please contact Kristin Gehris, Yocum’s School & Community Engagement Director, at kgehris@yocuminstitute.org or 610-376-1576, ext. 230, for more information and to book your performance. Please note there is a fee to bring the show to your organization.

Neighborhood Bridges

Since 2008, Yocum Institute has partnered with the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis to bring Neighborhood Bridges to local schools. This nationally recognized literacy program uses storytelling, theater games, and creative writing to build critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. Supported by the United Way of Berks County, Bridges empowers students to discover their voices while connecting stories to their own lives.
Afterschool Arts Programming
Through afterschool residencies and classes, Yocum teaching artists introduce students to a wide range of creative disciplines. Current offerings include:

Theater – Building confidence, imagination, and collaboration.

Dance – Encouraging expression, fitness, and cultural appreciation.

Martial Arts – Cultivating focus, discipline, and respect.

Visual Arts – Inspiring creativity through drawing, painting, and hands-on projects.

These programs support not only artistic growth, but also social-emotional learning and personal development.

Community Outreach

Yocum Institute also extends arts access through partnerships with libraries and senior living communities. Programs include a Summer Library Tour, bringing live theater productions to libraries throughout the county, as well as visual and performing
arts workshops designed to engage learners of all ages.

Bring Your Group to Us!

Yocum Institute also extends arts access through partnerships with libraries and senior living communities. Programs include a Summer Library Tour, bringing live theater productions to libraries throughout the county, as well as visual and performing arts workshops designed to engage learners of all ages.

Field Trips

Schools and community groups can enjoy live performances, hands-on workshops, and behind-the-scenes arts experiences tailored to different ages and interests.

Birthday Parties

Celebrate your child’s special day with an arts twist! Choose from theater, dance, martial arts, or visual arts activities led by Yocum teaching artists for a fun and creative party they’ll never forget.

Be Part of the Movement

Yocum’s Outreach programs create meaningful opportunities for growth, helps children discover their voices, expand their imaginations, and grow into confident learners and leaders. Whether through storytelling in a classroom, sparking critical conversations about mental health, or building confidence on stage, we are committed to using the arts to uplift and inspire our community.
To learn more or to bring Outreach programming to your school or organization, contact:
Kristin Gehris
School & Community Engagement Director
(610) 376-1576 ext. 230
kgehris@yocuminstitute.org

Mental Health Shows

Summer Library Tour

Arty Parties

Partner Organizations and Host Sites

Art Goes To School Berks County

Art Goes to School is a volunteer art appreciation program serving schools and communities in Berks County. People of all ages who love working with children and are excited about art become volunteer members of Art Goes to School. Volunteers bring art reproductions into the classrooms. We present a program that encourages children to "look, listen and feel" works of art.

Green image of a human lifting arms and becoming a tree

Berks County Parks and Recreation

The mission of the Berks County Parks & Recreation Department is to enrich the quality of life for all in Berks County through an enduring park and trail system that preserves natural resources and cultural heritage, offers inspiring recreational experiences, and promotes healthy lifestyles.

Our parks and recreation facilities along with our many programs and events offer a wide variety of experiences and opportunities for visitors of all ages.

Berks County Public Libraries

Established in 1986 as a federated library system, Berks County Public Libraries includes 19 libraries with 23 locations, each independently governed and operated by a local Board of Directors. The County of Berks supports the efforts of these community based libraries through its Library System department and through direct appropriation. As a department of County government, we provide administrative and centralized support services, coordinated outreach services to unserved populations, networked technology and act in liaison with other state and county agencies.

John Paul II Center for Special Learning

Everyone has a purpose in life. As a values-based organization, John Paul II Center for Special Learning encourages children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to explore their purpose and reach for goals through unique special education and social programming.

Students ages three to 21 are able to learn and grow throughout our School-Age Program, with the later years focusing on transition and life skills.

Two hands holding each other with the words Olivet Boys and Girls Club below in black font.

Olivet Boys and Girls Club of Reading and Berks County

Our Club is a chartered member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and incorporates many of the national organizations ’ tested youth development programs into our own program lineup.
For most of the club’s history, we had two units in two neighborhoods, Clinton Street and Mulberry Street. During the 1990s, the Club expanded into several new areas of the city. Olivet currently operates seven satellite locations across Reading, along with Blue Mountain Camp in Hamburg, PA.

Our programs address the region’s most pressing and immediate youth issues of education support, after school programming, and mentoring – all of which are provided by caring and knowledgeable staff. We adhere to the national initiatives of Boys & Girls Club of America to help young people between the ages of six and eighteen get a healthy start and enter school ready to perform to the best of their ability cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally.
Our three core areas of programming promote Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Good Character & Citizenship. To reach and serve as many youths as possible, our programs and services are available during non-school hours and during the summer at free or greatly reduced costs.

Community Outreach

For Schools, Groups and Families

2025 AEVIDUM CONFERENCE with YOUTH VOLUNTEER CORPS

NEIGHBORHOOD BRIDGES

SUMMER LIBRARY TOUR

Addressing Mental Health Through the Arts

Elementary Offering

Middle & High School Offering

Summer Library Tour Digging Up the Past

Neighborhood Bridges

Community Outreach

Bring Your Group to Us!

Field Trips

Birthday Parties

Be Part of the Movement

Partner Organizations and Host Sites

Summer Library Tour
Digging Up the Past