The CAPE League was designed to enhance the lives of their members, by not only providing them with productive activity and ensure that they gain skills, interests, experiences and education that would influence the rest of their lives and hopefully provide new, positive options they may not have otherwise considered.
As a part of the League's curriculum/schedule, their will be 8-12 weeks in which the members participate in Focus Tracks. The tracks are comprised of field trips, classes, panel discussions, workshops, meetings with related professionals and/or other activities relating to one specific field. If time, schedule and availability allots, members may participate in other tracks. The schedule was designed to help members be able to visit other tracks. Through the months of January - April 2007, the CAPE League will be broken down into tracks. The tracks for this season are listed and described below.
Performing Arts Track: Theater Appreciation & Exploration
Business Track: Entrepreneurship
Entrepeneurship Track
The purpose of this track is to introduce the members to the world of entrepreneurship and encourage them to discover the benefits and work of starting a business at an early age. The goal is to have each member who participates with this track, learn how to start a business that they can grow and develop, and even build income from.
This track is primarily led by Group Interactive (a business consulting firm). The outline of the curriculum is below. The classes are supplemented by a field trip to a business. Additionally, the series will include a Career Day where entrepreneurs from 6 different fields will present their companies and roles as business founders. The finale will be a presentation where members will showcase all of their business ideas.
C.A.P.E. League Entrepreneurial Classes
Overview: Group Interactive will teach members how people can make money through building a business - branding, writing and re-selling their knowledge, performing and teaching others to perform, public speaking, consulting, writing books, teaming with others in complimentary industries, outsourcing, doing the creative thing they do for a an audience that may not be exposed to it, etc.
If members are interested and want to continue on, Group Interactive will continue with them 6 months to a year offline. For those who continue, Group Interactive will 'sponsor' a website that will help them market and sell their creative works and services and at the same time teach them about the 'global marketplace'. A portion of their money they will keep like a salary and the remainder they will learn to re-invest back into their vision to help it continue to evolve.
Over the 4 sessions the program will focus on the following:
- Session 1: Building a brand and economic empowerment: Members will discuss what they really love to do. They will do exercises to trigger some ideas of other potential businesses they could do. They will also try to think of their 'purpose' and what they are trying to accomplish with their craft.
- Session 2: Defining a vision: They will learn to streamline those ideas into a vision or mission statement. They will start developing a plan for their business.
- Session 3: Focused energy & building a network: They will learn the importance of expending productive energy on their mission statement and surrounding themselves with positive people who support and align with their mission statement.
- Session 4: Taking action and follow through. We will talk about resources that are readily available whether that comes in the form of books from the library, internet, people in their network or their community.
- Post 4th Session: Group Interactive will continue meeting weekly for members who think that they would like to pursue their own businesses. They will help set up a Sole Proprietorship if they so wish, build products or services, develop a fee schedule and create a marketing plan. Members also have the option of being referred to our partner program, International Business Kids.
WIFV Image Makers Program Track
The Image Makers Program empowers a diverse group of students to explore careers in film and television. This program is presented by Women in Film and Video (WIFV). Participants are partnered with WIFV members who mentor students through an intensive hands-on production experience that delivers public service announcements (commercials with a message) for area nonprofits.
This program helps build a next generation of filmmakers while helping the community. The program is taught for ten Saturdays and concludes with a competition and awards presentation where participating students receive recognition for their contribution to the project. Students also receive a cash prize depending on available funds.
The winning team also attends WIFV's Women of Vision Awards Gala where they can mingle with industry leaders, screen their PSAs before a live audience, and be inspired by the achievements of Women of Vision Honorees.
Freshmen through seniors may apply. There is an application process for this track. Members will get to interact with students from all over the city.
Theater Appreciation & Exploration
Members will be exposed to the world of theater through workshops and theater outings. The purpose of this track is to help members develop an appreciation for the art of theater, while also learning the logistics and performance aspects of theater.
Members will experience two plays at the Kennedy Center and two plays at other theaters. They will also tour behind the scenes at a theater to see how it operates, and meet actors. The series will also include sessions with the Washington Improv Theater (1 or 2 sessions).
There will be a Career Day to allow members to see and meet professionals in various, exciting careers in the performing arts. The kids will also take place in production, acting, and/or musical theater workshops.