DEA Youth Dance Program Expands to Arizona Through Donations from the M.A.S.H Coalition and Target

Sept. 10, 2013 - PRLog -- The DEA Youth Dance Program, a prominent after-school dance program in the U.S. positively influencing thousands of kids each year, today announced it has received donations from the M.A.S.H Coalition Against Substance Abuse and Target that will allow it to launch its first program in the state of Arizona. The program is already in 21 states across the county.

Through its partnership with M.A.S.H. and a donation from the Pinal County Attorney's Office, the DEA Youth Dance Program will be launched in the Desert Wind and Maricopa Wells middle schools in Pinal County, Arizona in September. M.A.S.H is an acronym for Maricopa, Ak-Chin Indian Community, Stanfield, and Hidden Valley, named for the core areas it serves in western Pinal County, where the organization’s mission is to end substance abuse. The program is partnering with EPIK Dance Company, http://www.epikdanceco.org/, who will teach the classes.

“Through the generosity of M.A.S.H and Target, the DEA Youth Dance Program is very excited to bring our program to the community in Maricopa,” said Jill Roberts, founder, DEA Youth Dance Program.  “We’ve seen how life-changing this program can be in our work with students across the country. We hope to continue to grow so that we can reach even more kids and help them turn to dance as a healthy outlet.”

"We welcome the DEA Youth Dance Program to Arizona," said Lando Voyles, County Attorney, Pinal County Attorney's Office. "Programs like this are very much needed here, as they are across the country.  Substance abuse continues to negatively affect our youth and the necessity to educate our young people and give them healthy alternatives has never been greater. We hope for the success of this program and to see it soon expand into additional schools in the area."

The DEA Youth Dance program expanded to 21 cities nationwide 2013. Designed to help children turn to the healthy outlet of dance instead of drugs and negative behaviors, the free program is now serving schools in cities including Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Elementary and middle school students may participate in a free 20-week program, designed and led by local professional dance instructors. At the end of the program, students perform at a school assembly.  Students can then apply for scholarships at local studios to continue studying dance. To view a video and learn more about the program, visit: http://www.deaeducationalfoundation.org/.

About the DEA Youth Dance Program

The DEA Youth Dance Program, a successful after-school dance program in the U.S. positively influencing thousands of kids each year, is a free after-school dance program under the DEA Educational Foundation. Designed to help children turn to the healthy outlet of dance instead of drugs and negative behaviors, the program is supported by The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and by contributions from foundations such as the Target Foundation, The Gregory and EJ Milken Foundation, Dizzy Feet Foundation, General Mills Foundation, AnchorFree, The Arts Council of Monterey and more. To find out more, or to contribute, visit www.deaeducationalfoundation.org.