PND (10/24/2000) -- Oprah's "Use Your Life Award" Honors Shakespeare Program for Children

The Oprah Winfrey Show has awarded its weekly $100,000 Use Your Life Award to the Hobart Shakespeareans, a nonprofit organization that uses the plays of William Shakespeare to help inner-city children at Hobart Elementary School in Central Los Angeles excel as scholars.

The program's founder, Rafe Esquith, started the project to help economically disadvantaged children gain admission to top universities and to improve their lot in life. "When a 10-year-old who doesn't speak English as his first language steps in front of you and does a scene from Shakespeare," commented Esquith, "there is nothing that they cannot accomplish." In the past, Esquith's students have performed in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, attended national Shakespeare summer festivals in Oregon, and staged Shakespearean vignettes at the Globe Theater in London.

Esquith, who has taught at Hobart for 16 years, said he plans to use the award money to buy additional books, science equipment, and a van for field trips.

Fnded by donations from actor Paul Newman, Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, and Oprah Winfrey Show viewers, the Use Your Life Award is awarded every Monday to someone who is "using their life" to improve the lives of others. Thanks to increased donations to the program, the weekly award was raised from $50,0000 to $100,000 on September 18.

To read more about the Hobart Shakespeareans, see the Annual Catalogue of Giving produced by the Philanthropy Roundtable.

"Inner-City Teacher's Shakespeare Program Wins $100,000 Award." Associated Press in San Francisco Chronicle 10/24/2000.

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