Playwriting motivates kids

Actors inspire young writers at tribal schoolThis is the second time MAPP taught the Young Native Playwrights program at the Coeur d'Alene Tribal School and the results both times were stunning, according to Willard, who said last year's program proved to be a groundbreaking experience that impressed on students how valid their ideas are.

"The playwrights were really impacted," he said. "This opened up a whole new world to them. It gave them an idea about their capabilities that they never even fathomed. The rest of the year, behavior problems in those kids dropped to zero. I had kids that were bringing in their math homework after that. It was like the ripple effect of dropping a rock in the water. It wasn't just writing. It was their lives."