CHESTER, PA- March 13, 2023 - The Chester Upland School District (CUSD) hosted its first talent show in nearly two decades on Friday at Chester High School.
The Chester’s Got Talent Showcase featured 16 acts, with more than 40 participants from STEM Academy and Chester High School showcasing their skills in front of a nearly-full auditorium. Students and staff came together to display their impressive talents in a variety of categories that included, singing, dancing, monologues/spoken word, instruments, a performance by Chester High School’s marching band, and a Latinx-themed musical act and dance.
The event was organized and directed by Ms. Dana Bowser, Social Emotional Learning Coordinator for CUSD. Ms. Bowser, who also performed during the talent show, expressed her excitement about the production.
“I am so extremely proud of our students for all of the hard work they put into this,” said Bowser. “It took weeks of practice for this to come together. But the students were dedicated. This was especially important to me because the Arts are what got me through my childhood. I wanted to be able to give our students an opportunity to experience that. I am so super proud of all of them and grateful to the staff who helped make this a success.”
The showcase proved to be an excellent opportunity for students and staff to showcase their skills and build a sense of community within the district. For some of the student performers, it was their first time on stage.
“One of the goals of this administration is to strengthen the district’s Career and Technical Education Curriculum (CTE) program and bring the Arts back,” said Craig Dr. Parkinson, Superintendent of Schools. “This talent showcase is a testament that we are headed in the right direction in achieving that goal. We have so much talent in our district, and it was amazing to see everyone shine on stage. "
Building on the success of this Talent Showcase, the district plans to work on building local partnerships to strengthen the Arts programs. Details on a partnership with the Mann Music Center are expected to be announced in the next coming weeks.
The district would like to thank everyone who helped to make this event a success including music teacher Albert Holden, Jason Djsmoove Felton, and the student participants.
District officials would also like to extend a special thank you to Ms. Bowser for her outstanding work in organizing the event, and to everyone who attended the talent show or donated tickets.
All proceeds from the event will go to support the Arts Scholarship Fund-- a scholarship fund created to support Chester Upland School District students who plan to pursue a major in the Arts after graduation.
To see the amazing performances from the Talent Showcase, visit here.
