The Biola Youth Theater received a $10,000 grant from Wells Fargo Bank in support of the theater’s service to junior high and high school students desiring to be a part of the thespian arts.

Terri Wesolik, Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo’s Education and Non Profit Banking Division, presented the check to Lori Shanebeck, Executive Producer of the Biola Youth Theater on September 12.

This is the second grant award Biola Youth Theater has received, according to Shanebeck, who indicated that the Biola Youth Theater survives mainly on donations. The grant will help cover a significant percentage of what the program needs to thrive.

“We must fundraise to survive so this gives us a huge boost towards our annual goal,” Shanebeck said. “Wells Fargo has contributed 20% towards that goal both this year and last.”

The grant will help to stabilize the growth the program has experienced within the last year.

Biola Youth has been an academic option in Southern California since 1996, when parents of homeschooling families expressed the need for a way to accomplish the more difficult courses required by universities and colleges. Biola Youth Theater emerged from that education program, giving homeschool students the opportunity to participate in the arts.  Despite the difficult economy, the program expanded last year.

“I have many dreams for the future, but right now, continuing to implement the growth changes we made last year is a high priority," said Shanebeck. "It was very successful, but we need to continue to stabilize that growth.”