Unscripted is now in its third year of programming. The common wisdom is that if a nonprofit can stay afloat for three years, then it is here to stay - and that is exactly what we plan to be. We plan to maintain the quality of our core program while continuing to expand across Philadelphia, supporting our educators with professional development programming, and now launching an afterschool program. Join us in supporting our youth, our future.

Hear from one of our students, Journae:

These three years haven’t been easy for the young people that we serve. Philly has been struck by gun violence time and time again these past few months, our district is facing the effects of a teacher shortage, and we are still feeling the effects of COVID-induced learning loss.

It’s in the midst of this that Unscripted is providing a safe, joyful space for all students in the middle of their school days. Students are playing games and being brave and connecting with their classmates and teachers in ways they have never done before - and also developing the lifelong skills speaking confidently, advocating for themselves, and adapting to new situations.

We’re launching our afterschool program to “go deeper” with a subset of our students - to lean into the improv education and resulting life skills, but also providing the supplementary support to fully develop a confident voice and growth mindset.

Historically, this fundraiser has brought in 40% of our operating budget for the subsequent year - when we say we could not do this without you, we mean it. Please continue to support us at this critical juncture for our organization and for our students.

Our Impact:

To date, we have worked with over 1300 students, including over 450 students across 18 classrooms this semester. Our impact results show that due to our program:

75% of students feel like they can better understand their own emotions and those of others
73% of students feel they have become a better communicator
68% of students feel more comfortable participating in class
69% of student reported a decrease in rejection sensitivity: they are better able to advocate for themselves and ask for what they need, despite the fear of rejection

To learn more about our impact and all of this year's highlights, see our annual report here.

Hear from one of our teaching artists, Paul, below:

Corporate Matching:

Many companies offer corporate matching for any contributions to 501(c)(3) organizations. Check your company intranet or benefits for details on the company matching process. Common providers are Benevity and YourCause. Here is some information you may require for company matching:

Org: The Unscripted Project
Unscripted EIN: 85-0844633
Address: 3720 Spruce Street, Suite 404, Philadelphia, PA 19104

If you're having any issues, shoot us an email (meera@unscriptedproject.org) and we'll walk you through it! Please do take the time to check as this is the single most effective way to double (or more) your impact.

Hear from our Program Director, Karin, below:

About Unscripted:

The Unscripted Project is an award-winning, BIPOC-led Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping students with critical social-emotional and interpersonal skills through the transformative medium of improvisational theater. We do this primarily through our core program, a free 10-week series of in-school applied improv workshops in public middle and high schools. Since our inception in 2020, we have worked with over 1000 students. Through our workshops, students develop key life skills like speaking confidently, collaborating effectively, and growing from mistakes in a low-stakes and laughter-filled environment.

You can continue to follow our journey on Facebook and Instagram

Unscripted 2022 Fundraiser: Our Youth, Our Future

Support us as we grow our core program, reach more educators through professional development, and launch our first-ever afterschool program