VOH Summer Youth Program

Voices of Hope Summer Youth offers all students a positive and creative space to grow and explore. Our goal is to foster community engagement with the arts and philanthropy. Nowhere else will students work on a show that has the impact that our show does: Working to rid the world of cancer.

A growing body of research supports the fact that arts education not only makes students more creative thinkers, but it also has a positive impact on overall academic achievement. Arts education helps students build confidence, social and emotional intelligence and complex problem-solving skills, all of which prepare them for the challenges of the 21st century workplace.

Our program reinforces teamwork and personal best performance. It is a way of preserving, interpreting, understanding and challenging a culture. Our program builds skills in that vital area for a child’s well being.

I hope that your child can join us for a well rounded summer of theater, music, dance and many other skills along with just having fun while helping others.

Now in its ninth year, the VOH Summer Youth Program (SYP) offers students in grades 5 – 12 a positive and creative space to grow and explore theatrical skills, while also learning the value of philanthropy. The professional teaching staff engage students in all aspects of theatrical performance, culminating in a live production and the pride of knowing the work they do makes a difference and contributes to our mission of a cancer-free world.

“Nowhere else will students participate in a theatrical production that has this impact–working to create a cancer-free world!” says Greg Chastain, VOH founder and president.

This unique educational program launched in 2017 as a collaboration with Acting Out theater in Lawrence and has evolved into an annual independently run, five-week summer theater program, supported by student interns and a staff of certified teachers and seasoned theater professionals. The 2023 & 2024 productions contributed close to $38,000 to VOH’s annual donation to the Mass General Cancer Center, as well as featured live performances on WBZ with Levan Reid, and the Boston Celtics half-time show on Cancer Awareness Night.

Keep the weekend of August 1-3 open to enjoy this performance! Ticket sales support cancer research and this fabulous group of talented, hardworking kids who are working together to make cancer history one song at a time.