The Vista Education Foundation(VEF) mission is to provide financial support for Vista Unified School District students for scholarships, arts, technology and internships. Their Vision is to ensure that every student has the tools to succeed in chosen careers and as productive members of our community. Each year the foundation holds a fundraising event on the night of the dress rehearsal of Mary Poppins at the Moonlight Amphitheater.
Get ready for Mary Poppins to fly over the rooftops of London and onto the Moonlight stage as Moonlight Youth Theatre brings you this beloved classic! This family musical, winner of 44 major theatre awards from around the globe, has captivated audiences for generations, and now the enchanting story, unforgettable songs, breathtaking production numbers, and dazzling flying effects, will delight theatergoers of all ages. Believe in the magic and discover a world where anything can happen if you let it! Schedule for this weekend.
The MC for the evening was VEF President Vince Hinojosa. He told everyone how much he appreciated them and supporting the VEF and ultimately the children of Vista. The highlight of the evening was the recognition of Mayor Judy Ritter. Mayor Ritter is stepping down as Mayor in the first week of December after serving the City of Vista for 24 years. Deputy Mayor John Franklin read a Proclamation from the City to Mayor Ritter. All of the attendees enjoyed a meal prepared and served by Ciao’s. The dress rehearsal was right after dinner and all that attended went to find their seats in the amphitheater. They were treated to a tremendous performance by the Moonlight Youth Theater.
The importance of the contributions by the VEF to the Youth Theater was emphasized by Mike Bradford, Director of Arts Education for Moonlight Cultural Foundation and he recently took over as Managing Director at the Moonlight for the City of Vista. “A little history about our partnership with VEF….prior to 2016, MYT’s focus was primarily on performance-based arts education where students received training in singing, dancing & acting. While this remains a focus, in 2016 we discovered a population of middle school and high school students who were interested in theatre education, but were not interested in performing. They wanted to learn about what happens “behind the scenes.” MYT’s goal has always been to meet the arts education needs of as many students as possible, and as a result, in 2016, we originated the only theatre internship program of its kind in our region. This program has been going strong since then and continues to grow. In fact, the program has been so successful, it has been integrated as curriculum in local schools and is a part of the IB Program at Guajome Park Academy. It was also adopted by the City of Temecula as the model for their arts education programs,” he said.
In order to create a new program, funding was needed, and Vista Education Foundation answered the call.
The way the program works is this: students apply to be a part of an internship. They review those applications and students are assigned to work alongside a theatre professional learning all that it takes to work in that field. Available internships are directing, choreography, lighting, sound, costume, hair & makeup design, stage management, production management, and they even have had orchestra internships. Thanks to the funding, the program is completely free to everyone.
Since its inception in 2016, and including 2022, the Theatre internship program has served 430 student interns. This amounts to over 12,000 instruction hours. The show, Mary Poppins, which was shown to everyone attending the fundraiser dinner, had over 25 interns working on it.
Multiple interns have continued after high school, working backstage at the Moonlight and at other professional theatres. In the 2022 Moonlight Summer Season alone, 25 of the Moonlight’s backstage employees were alumni of the internship program.
Mike said, “Every year, the program grows, and it is because of the generous financial contributions of VEF that we are able to sustain the program year after year. On behalf of the Moonlight Cultural Foundation and the students of Moonlight Youth Theatre, I thank you for your continued support. Your funds make a difference in the lives of students in a tangible way, and we can’t thank you enough. Enjoy the show everyone!”
The Vista Educational Foundation(VEF) is a 501(c)3. All donations made to the VEF are tax deductible and go directly to Vista Unified School District schools/students. The VEF has no paid employees. The VEF operates solely on the assistance of volunteers.
Donations can be made via the VEF website, through endowments, through the Amazon Smile Program (just identify VEF as the recipient) and through employer directed donations (United Way).
