Miller and Silva Honored with WASA Community Partnership Award
The dedication of Tina Miller and Kim Silva to the drama students within Lynden Schools has been noticed throughout the state. Miller and Silva, leaders of 4th Corner Theater, were honored with a WASA Community Partnership Award for their work in collaborating with Lynden Schools to create accessible opportunities for students in performing arts.
A nonprofit community theater group based in Lynden, since 2012 4th Corner Theater has served as a booster of the Lynden Schools drama department. The community award is given annually by the Washington Association of School Administrators. It recognizes community members or groups and their outstanding contributions toward education.
“Their collaboration with the district strengthens student programs, while their coordination of community contributions connects adults with meaningful ways to invest in youth,” says David VanderYacht, superintendent.
Miller says that the group has supplied the Lynden High School drama department with items for theater products that simply wouldn’t be in the school’s budget. Through fundraising, 4th Corner Theater has enriched performances with snow machines, bubble machines, storage racks, lapel microphones and additional supplies. The group has also provided cast photos, an end-of-year awards ceremony for students and engraved plaques for seniors.
“People do not realize how expensive it can be just to purchase the rights to perform a show,” Miller says about the group funding shows at Lynden Middle School as part of the larger effort to bring opportunities to more students. This current school year saw the group support the efforts at both LHS and LMS, with 54 students participating in the LHS fall play, 55 students in the LHS spring musical and 44 students in the middle school production. The funds from the nonprofit theater ensure every student who wants to participate is included.
“The support of 4th Corner Theater gives the LHS and LMS drama programs the ability to remain a no-cut program,” Miller says, “where every student is accepted for who they are and given a safe and encouraging environment to help each students grow and succeed not only in theater, but in all aspects of their life.”
The group also has plans for theater camps and community performances.
Silva says that she loves the opportunity to work with so many students. “I have been privileged to help them not only as their costumer but also to be a listening ear,” she says. “I have been blessed by so many comments shared from students’ hearts in the form of words, notes and even little gifts just to show their appreciation for being seen and heard. I hope they understand that as another adult in their lives, I am here for them, not just because of the show, but in life.”
Miller and Silva both say that each student who joins drama while at Lynden then becomes a part of the theater family, a designation they retain well beyond graduation.
