Paul Hanusch and Melissa Starkowski

Hanusch and Starkowski’s innovative teaching idea, “Reading Through Drama,” is a semester-long drama course that will be offered twice per year during school hours, a first for Portland Middle School. It will focus on those who need assistance with reading and reading fluency, incorporating interdisciplinary lessons and projects involving STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects and the humanities. Although the course is for everyone, it's designed to address the needs of students who struggle with reading comprehension and fluency at the secondary level, offering units in performance through dialogue, monologue, musical theater and dramatic interpretation of the written word. In addition to its basis in reading, the project includes components of set design, audio engineering and lighting, performance blocking or stage geometry, history and cultural diversity. The Voya Unsung Heroes grant will help fund set materials and offer a small stipend for a technical advisor or engineer to assist students.