establish and promote a community of successful, independent learners

In the spring of 2019, PCTC began a drama program with Harvey Milk High School (HMHS) in Manhattan.

The mission of HMHS, a small transfer school, is to establish and promote a community of successful, independent learners by creating a safe educational environment for all young people. HMHS is designed for students in grades 10-12 who have not met success in at least one other high school prior to admission and who want to continue their education in an alternative, small school environment. The school strives to provide all students with a rigorous academic experience for college and career readiness that emphasizes critical thinking skills and student collaboration. This nurturing educational setting at HMHS not only challenges and promotes academic success, but it also fosters and supports a diverse, self-respecting, confident community.

The school was founded in 1985 as a small, two-room program with just over a dozen students by HMI in collaboration with the New York City Department of Education’s Career Education Center. The Department of Education administers the school and is responsible for admissions. Harvey Milk was created as an alternative education program for youth who find it difficult or impossible to attend their home schools due to threats, violence, or harassment.

Under the guidance of Kenny Wade Marshall, PCTC will provide theatre arts training to this underserved community. In an inclusive, non-binary, non- judgmental environment, PCTC will strive to empower the students to be more confident, collaborative, caring, and compassionate. Most importantly, PCTC will aim to provide a safe space for the students to express themselves in an open, honest, and constructive way.