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News Releases 
Honors for CTC’s Neighborhood Bridges Creator Jack Zipes 
For Immediate Release: September 14, 2001
The Children’s Theatre Company applauds Dr. Jack Zipes, who was recently inducted into the 2001 Mpls./St. Paul Magazine Volunteer Hall of Fame and was named one of KARE-11’s Eleven Who Care. The recognition comes as a result of his work with Neighborhood Bridges, the inaugural program of CTC’s Center for Innovation in Theatre and Education (CITE). In 1998, the program began in two urban Minneapolis elementary schools, serving approximately 40 students. In the 2000-2001 school year, Neighborhood Bridges expanded to serve nearly 300 fourth and fifth-grade students from four Minneapolis schools.
"We are delighted that Jack’s tremendous contributions to the children of our community are being acknowledged by such prestigious organizations," says CTC artistic director Peter C. Brosius. "In a society where many children have no voice, and few are empowered to affect change, Jack Zipes is a champion."
Dr. Jack Zipes is a professor of German, Scandinavian and Dutch Studies at the University of Minnesota. He is an internationally recognized storytelling expert and educator who has traveled all over Europe studying and teaching, working at youth centers, libraries, universities, and summer institutes with all ages (adults and children) expanding and refining his mission. His book, Creative Storytelling: Building Community, Changing Lives is a gathering of what he has learned during his many years of research and practice. The book examines the use of storytelling to teach and explore and open up worlds to young people; it is the basis for the Neighborhood Bridges program at CTC.
Neighborhood Bridges is designed to develop children’s critical literacy skills through storytelling, theater, and writing. It is a yearlong program in which an actor/educator from CTC, who has been trained by Zipes, goes into the classroom for a 2-hour session every week. The benefits are many; growth of writing skills, increased self-esteem and self-confidence, and the development of a strong sense of community evolve over the course of the year. In classrooms where English is often a second language and children are nervous about speaking up and being too different, Neighborhood Bridges teaches that we each have our own stories and strengths and that by working together those stories and strengths are exponentially increased.
A reception was scheduled for September 11th to celebrate Mpls./St. Paul Magazine’s Volunteer Hall of Fame inductees. That event has been postponed until further notice. KARE-11 will host a banquet on Saturday, September 15 to honor the Eleven Who Care. The event will be broadcast live at 9 p.m. on Channel 11.
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