Deep Center, an after school creative writing program in Savannah will soon be honored in our nation¹s capital.

On November 17th Michelle Obama will honor executive director there Dare Dukes and student Andre Massey
with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. The prize recognizes the country’s best creative youth development programs.

Out of 285 nominees only 12 programs across the nation will receive the award. This is the third time since 1998 when the award was created that a Georgia based program has won.

Gabrielle Ware spoke with Dare Dukes to learn more about the after school program.

Gabrielle Ware: This means that you're really making an impact, that Deep is really making an impact in youth development. Can you just tell people who don'y know what Deep is?

Dare Dukes: Deep runs creative writing programs in Chatham County public schools and in the county. We engage people with writing and with their stories so they build literacy, they can identify and tell their stories well. And when that happens young people gain coincidence in themselves and they see they have a unique place in the world.

LISTEN TO FULL INTERVIEW ABOVE