Junior Players is the oldest children's theater in Dallas. We have provided unique arts education programming to the youth of North Texas since 1955. Mission The mission of Junior Players is to encourage intellectual growth, mental well-being and the development of life skills in the youth of North Texas through mentoring, creative expression and participation in dramatic and arts activities. History Junior Players was founded in 1955, and is the oldest nonprofit children's theater organization in Dallas. Over its sixty-three year existence, Junior Players has striven to meet the changing needs of the community. From 1955 to 1989, Junior Players presented traditional children's theater productions performed entirely by children and teenagers. In 1989, the Board of Directors changed the focus of Junior Players activities, deciding that, Junior Players can best serve the youth of Dallas by providing free programming accessible to all the children of North Texas. Junior Players, therefore, exclusively provides free arts education programs in local recreation and cultural centers, housing projects, elementary, middle and high schools and through social service agencies serving youth at risk. Each year, Junior Players serves thousands of kids and teens throughout the North Texas area. Throughout 2019, Junior Players: -Served approximately 15,000 students across North Texas. -Served approximately 6,000 audience members during our 4-show season. -Provided 5,000 hours of high-quality arts education programming. -Provided more than 3,000 sessions of programming with each session lasting approximately 2 hours. -This breaks down to approximately 11 sessions per day throughout the year -Employed more than 100 highly qualified teaching artists. -Offered 415 unique arts programs at 153 unique locations.