Sankofa Paradigm: A Therapeutic Theatre Program for Girls

The purpose of this study is to test the impact of a 6-week theatre intervention rooted in African culture (Sankofa) on the wellness of girls (predominately African American) ages 8-18 receiving services at five Boys \& Girls Club Indianapolis sites. Theatre interventions are led by Asante theatre personnel and evaluated by the PI and occupational therapy graduate students. The theatre intervention being evaluated has been conducted for decades by an established theatre company with widespread community participation and anecdotal positive responses, but has not been scientifically evaluated to understand how it impacts wellbeing. This will be the first large-scale study of the mechanisms of change and of the impact of the theatre intervention in the community and will help to guide future therapeutic interventions using theatre with underserved populations. Research questions include: Is Sankofa a feasible and acceptable intervention for the target population? Does participation in Sankofa result in improved scores on wellness outcome measures, including the National Youth Outcomes Initiative (NYOI) survey? The study is funded by Asante Children's Theatre via the Central Indiana Community Foundation Women's Fund.