Navy Child and Youth Programs – Youth Programs Coordinator
In 2009, Navy Child and Youth Programs (CYP) announced a new partnership with MCT. At the time, I was a Youth Center Director at a small Navy base in south Texas constantly searching for fun opportunities to provide for my children and families. Navy CYP made it easy for me to say yes to an MCT residency because my point-of-contact at Navy CYP Headquarters, Dee, was a great salesperson. “We will pay for the residency and all you have to do is provide the kids, the space, and the piano player.” “Alright” I said, “Let’s make it happen!” Little did I know MCT would have a profound impact on my life, the lives of my children and families, and thousands more to come.
After my first MCT experience, I was hooked. The MCT team made everything so easy, and the children loved it! I witnessed several children come out of their shell and get on stage (sometimes begrudgingly), several more children joined the Youth Center because they made new friends during their MCT week, and several staff members commented that their personal passion for working with children was validated after witnessing the power of the performing arts and how our children were impacted.
Fast forward to the end of 2010, I begin working at Navy CYP Headquarters and I’m given the reins to coordinate MCT residencies across the Navy CYP’s 104 Youth Centers worldwide. Over the past 12 years, MCT has served more than 50,000 Navy children and families through residencies on-base, both stateside and overseas. Although, I rarely get to witness the magic of an MCT residency nowadays, I routinely receive emails from Youth Center Directors reveling that MCT made a positive impact on their children’s and families’ lives, and they can’t wait until MCT returns to their community again! And whenever I receive these emails, I am instantly transported back to my time in the field and smile at the memory of my children on stage bowing after their performance as their parents and staff members gave them a standing ovation.
On behalf of Navy Child and Youth Programs, THANK YOU MCT for supporting our military service members and their families. Your programming makes a difference in our lives, and we wouldn’t be able to fulfill our military and defense support responsibilities without you!
In theatre, EVERY role is important!
Here are some of the ways you can get involved at MCT:
Barb Fortunate ‘loves’ volunteering here
and has done so since the early days of MCT:
“I love the people I come in contact with and I learn so many tips and tricks from them.
I love the lighting aspect, working backstage with and getting to know the actors. I am not a singer/actor, so it’s fascinating to me.
I love the personalities of those people
and how nice they are. I love working the deck crew/backstage; the physicality of it.
I love to keep moving, learning the equipment, the Vortek…so many things a person like me can be trained on and ‘just do.’ It’s mentally stimulating and physically stimulating. It works out your brain and your body……….at the same time.”
Clearly, Barb loves MCT and we love her!