Everybody Dance Now! Trains Young Leaders From 7 Cities

Summary of Facts:

Who EDN! is a youth-run, Santa Barbara-founded organization founded in 2005 that provides free hip-hop dance programs to positively transform the lives of disadvantaged youth

What Everybody Dance Now! (EDN!)’s 4th annual Leadership Training Conference

Where Multiple locations locally

Why To train young people from 7 cities to create and sustain EDN! chapters in their communities, spreading the impact of EDN! beyond Santa Barbara

When August 30 – Sep 2, 2013

“We hope to inspire and enable young people throughout the country to start Everybody Dance Now! programs in their communities, and keep this movement growing!”

These word the words of Everybody Dance Now!’s founder, Jackie Rotman, when the local youth-led nonprofit was featured on the hit MTV show, America’s Best Dance Crew, in 2010 – reaching tens of millions of viewers throughout the world. After being featured on that show, EDN!’s team received emails from people in 14 cities across 5 continents wanting to get involved in the cause. Since then, this Santa Barbara-founded organization has expanded its footprint to provide free hip-hop dance programs to disadvantaged youth in 12 cities throughout the U.S. by equipping young people to lead the way.

One of the critical activities enabling this growth to other cities is EDN!’s National Leadership Training Conference, held annually in Santa Barbara, CA. At this year’s conference, Aug 30 – Sep 2, 2013, 25 chapter leaders from 8 cities will come together to unite behind the EDN! mission, engage in powerful trainings, and learn how to better direct their chapters. A key component of this year’s conference will be an all day training taught by a dance education specialist on Sunday, September 1 introducing a standards-based curriculum to EDN!’s chapter leaders which can be critical for improving and refining our programs. The conference will support EDN! chapters in 8 cities in offering free, high quality dance programs to positively affect the lives of over 1,000 disadvantaged youth in the next year alone, and to exponentially more children in these cities in the coming years.

EDN! isn’t just about teaching dance steps to kids. EDN! uses dance to tackle problems like youth violence, obesity, and a lack of safe and engaging after-school opportunities for kids. The program strives to help young people “CREATE”:

· Cultivate self-esteem and self-value

· Respect their bodies and establish healthy lifestyles

· Express themselves and channel energy through creative alternatives

· Achieve goals and maintain a positive attitude through challenges

· Take part in consistent programming that promotes friendship and a sense of belonging

· Expand their perspectives through community service and cultural learning

To see “CREATE” and EDN!’s positive impact in action, there will be a public part of the conference on Saturday, August 31 from 4-6pm to view a performance by EDN!’s students and presentations by both students and chapter leaders. For more information about Saturday’s Meet and Greet and to RSVP, email Jackie@everybodydancenow.org.