LAUNCHES CREATIVE CHALLENGE TO KIDS 10-17 TO INSPIRE NEW IDEAS TO “SEND A NET. SAVE A LIFE.”

Camp Broadway announced a strategic alliance with the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign to encourage performing arts-loving kids to take action and raise awareness about the global fight against malaria. The year-round partnership connects arts and advocacy by showcasing youthful creativity, delivering classroom curriculum, and offering immersive summer camp programming.

Nothing But Nets is the largest global, grassroots campaign to fight malaria, a disease that kills a child in Africa every 60 seconds. Malaria, a disease caused by a single mosquito bite, is preventable. Since 2006, Nothing But Nets has raised more than $50 million, and together with its UN partners, has delivered 7.25 million insecticide-treated bed nets to protect families in sub-Saharan Africa from malaria.

The alliance begins with the Camp Broadway Challenge, a national arts-in-action initiative that invites multi-talented youth, ages 10-17, to create an original work of art themed around Nothing But Nets’ mission to “Send a Net. Save a Life.” Kids are asked to create, produce and share a video featuring their original song, dance, music composition or prop by posting it in the Camp Broadway Challenge showcase at www.NothingButNetsChallenge.net. Two youth artists whose videos receive the most votes will be announced on World Malaria Day – Friday, April 25 – and will be awarded a trip to New York City to attend The Lion King and Camp Broadway’s coveted annual summer session, July 14-18, 2014.

“Hundreds of thousands of people across the country have taken on the challenge to stop the spread of malaria,” says Chris Helfrich, Director of Nothing But Nets. “Kids are our most proactive supporters because they understand it only takes $10 provide a life-saving bed net that will protect a child and their family from malaria. We’ve had great success with youth sports programs and we’re excited to get theater-loving kids involved in the campaign through our new partnership with Camp Broadway.”

To help kids understand the global health issue, expand their knowledge about Nothing But Nets and inspire creativity, Camp Broadway is providing an online educational toolkit that enables kids to follow the Bed Net Journey from the $10 donation to its delivery to a family in Africa. The story is augmented with maps, graphs, videos, African artwork and other resources. To enable teachers to integrate the program into their classroom, Common Core-aligned lessons and activities can be found at www.NothingButNetsChallenge.net.

“Nothing is more dramatic than the life or death battle to stop the spread of malaria around the world,” says Melissa Caolo, Managing Director of Camp Broadway. “Children today are effective advocates for social good and have creative ideas for expressing their support and showing their commitment to the causes that are important to them. Camp Broadway is proud to help the UN Foundation Nothing But Nets get young artists involved in this life-saving campaign.”

Since 1995, Camp Broadway has encouraged kids to develop their “character” and learn about other people’s lives and cultures through its Broadway inspired camps, workshops and experiential programs. To further elevate Nothing But Nets, Camp Broadway’s 2014 summer programs will feature songs and scenes from four Broadway musicals: Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, Disney’s The Jungle Book Kids, as well as Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s Once on This Island and Seussical, transporting theater-loving kids to other parts of the globe.

“We believe that theater kids will be great performers in the effort to promote good health and the greater social good,” says Caolo. “All the world’s a stage…and they have an important role to play in it.”

For more information on the artist showcase, lessons and activities, or summer programs, visit www.NothingButNetsChallenge.net.