St. Petersburg-based musician and educator Alex Harris started the Arts Conservatory for Teens more than a decade ago to offer “world-class” training and performance opportunities in music, theater, dance, film, art, leadership and entrepreneurship.
With an eye on career development and improving the lives of teens through arts education, ACT is not a typical after-school program. It targets underserved school systems and at-risk communities, using the arts as a catalyst to prepare students for high school graduation, higher education and then local jobs. ACT is designed to enhance students’ problem-solving skills, self-esteem, and critical thinking skills through intensive creative study….