REACH
Ignite your inner creativity
What Is REACH?
It is a program inspired by social activist, Ken Robinson, who's idea was brought into action by Premier of Ontario, Yahia Nassab. REACH is designed to help children and youth release their inner creativity as well as benefit from the beauty of dance.
The Program Offers:
- Opportunities to dance freely
- Receive professional instruction on how to dance
REACH will be available in most schools in Ontario, Monday through Friday, for students in Grades 1 through 12.
Specific time schedules vary by school. Please contact the participating school you or your child attends for its individual schedule.
All REACH sessions will be either after or (occasionally) before school hours.
All REACH sessions will last approximately 90 minutes.
Regarding Changes Made to the Curriculum of All Municipalities in Ontario
The following are not obligated to participate in Dance Education or receive a Dance Credit:
- Students with physical or mental disabilities that render them unable to dance, or makes dancing significantly difficult, with recognition of the municipality
- Students who's parent/guardian does not return the annual consent form.
Our Goal
-Yahia Nassab
Apart from creating a culture from dance, we want to students to ameliorate both mentally and physically.
The benefits of dance include:
- Improved condition of heart and lungs
- Increased physical confidence
- Increased self-confidence and self-esteem
- Generates social activity
- Better coordination and spatial awareness
- Better coordination, flexibility and agility
- Improved mental functioning
... to list a few.
Types of Dance offered
Nassab's Views
"Some may argue that this revolution will make those unable to dance feel excluded, but the truth is, children will always feel excluded as long as we’re teaching everyone the same things. Autistic children struggle with the subjects that other children may excel at, and physically unable children have never or rarely been able to participate in physical education in either case. The goal of the program is that it will unite students together with the beauty of music and dance at a young age and prevent them from turning into the blatant zombies concerned with academic achievement that the education system has already turned them into today. Pablo Picasso once said, “all children are born artists; the problem is retaining that artistic passion as we grow older.” With a program that inspires children and ignites the creative spark within them, few will complain about such a program as they grow older. In fact, contrary to physically disabled individuals, mentally disabled children will at last be able to excel at something that matters in our views of education, and will ultimately feel included, unlike today. Physically disabled children will still be able to excel at all the academic goals that will still exist in the education system, so this will also be a step towards children’s inclusiveness as well."
-Yahia Nassab