Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Oyster Fest 2013

The NPT TEEN YOUTH BOARD ROCKS! 

This past weekend was the Oyster Fest in Milford.  Last year we did it and hadn't yet formed the Youth Board, but the idea was born at that time.  Now we have a nine person Teen Youth board made up of youths from New Haven to Stamford who have many projects coming up.

We had a great turnout at the Oyster Fest and the gang was led by Lisa LaRusso again as the Teen advisor mom and face painting artist extraordinaire.  Thanks also to Lynn Vetare (on our Adult Board of Directors) for her help the entire day of Oyster Fest as well!
Happy customers!


Some of the teens were awesome face painters too and the others were great at "marketing and PR" showing our choices book to many kids and making a great impression on the huge crowd walking by.   Our total raised this year (faces were $5) was much more as we had more artists painting and helping out.

Lisa Painting
Nate with "choices"
UPCOMING approved projects for them are:  

1. Their own WEBSHOW packages with Itsrelevant.com  (the TV guys are going to mentor them and teach them how to be broadcasters and reporters as well as running the cameras and editing their stories.  The "Stories" they will cover are about kids making a difference in the community)  It will also be GREAT PR for NPT.

2. "So Ya Wanna be a Broadway star" concerts at The Watermark every quarter starting in Oct. This is a retirement home with very astute and professional retirees....and a great auditorium with a grand piano.   I teach a class there monthly and we came up with the idea of having a "concert" for the seniors/a chance for anyone in the area to perform with our pro accompanist and get feedback from me and a SENIOR judge/ fund raiser for NPT)

3. Board meetings monthly with professional guests. This Sunday it was the TV guys from It's Relevant.

4. Sunday Spotlights (free webinars)  starting again in the Fall with professional guests from the Entertainment Industry. The Teens produce this and host it.  My friends from Broadway/film and TV participate as the guests being interviewed. Any person can join us every other Sunday night.
Example last year with Broadway star Randy Graff    (tony award winner)     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL9bpH3RsuU

The Youth Board is also voting in new members (being highly selective) and forming committees to help with all these activities.

Again, for me, it all boils down to being a teacher.  Of course the Broadway experience and a professional theatre life would come into play, but who knew that my NBC experience as a reporter so long ago would integrate? That our Internet business would teach me how to host webinars and to use a business sense for the Arts.

It's exciting when it all funnels together and the Youth Board is a great outlet for it!

Video of the face painting!




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