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HOPE! (Healing Our Personal Experiences) Drama Troupe
Director Kim Van Haecke
Co-director Joanne Wilson
HOPE! Drama Troupe is a unique child abuse prevention program in which peers educate peers about child abuse. The primary objective of the troupe is the prevention of child abuse and neglect and to promote seeking help when abuse is already occurring. The Troupe performs for 3,000 – 4,000 youth in Polk County each season and is sponsored by the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Des Moines.
Currently HOPE! is the only prevention and education program available in the Greater Des Moines area that educates children and youth about child abuse and informs them where to go to find help if they are being abused. Advising possible victims of abuse to seek help and educating peers (future parents) about the devastating effects of child abuse is vital to the prevention and reduction of child abuse in our community.
“The HOPE! Drama Troupe had a tremendous impact on my students,” says Des Moines Public Schools Administrator Dr. Vincent E. Lewis, “I wish all students everywhere were fortunate enough to view this group.”
The troupe writes an original script each year that integrates the language, music and current concerns of teens in relation to child abuse issues. The script may cover topics such as: physical and mental abuse; drug and alcohol abuse; date rape; pregnancy prevention; suicide; incest; and parental neglect. Professional directors and representatives from community agencies work with the troupe to provide support and advice. The target audience is middle school students; however they also perform at high schools, churches and community events. The performance lasts about thirty minutes and is followed by a question and answer period.
The troupe members utilize drama to sensitize students to issues of abuse and assault in order to help reduce their occurrence and to create a climate in which such forms of violence are less likely to be tolerated or excused. The goal is to increase the likelihood of prompt intervention with those who have suffered traumatic experiences so as to reduce the immediate and long-term consequences of abuse.
Drama Troupe Assistant Director Joanne Wilson writes, “This Troupe is an enthusiastic group of young people, dedicated to the work of child abuse prevention. They inspire me.”
The Director for the Troupe is Kim Van Haecke. Kim has her Masters in directing theater and has also directed and taught classes for community theatres in the area. She started with HOPE! in 1999 and took over as director in 2002.
Kim says she “enjoys working with the HOPE! Troupe kids and keeping in touch with them after they leave HOPE!. It is rewarding work knowing that we are making a difference in the life of a child.”
Please contact us if you are interested in volunteering.
For more information about HOPE! or to book a performance for your school or church group, call the Child Abuse Prevention Council at (515) 725-2682.