On July 31, AIDS Delaware will present its 11th-annual Delaware Teen Idol competition at the Playhouse Theatre on Rodney Square in Wilmington.
The slogan for this year’s program is “Be in the spotlight for the right reasons,” and it seeks to shift the sometimes-negative portrayal of our younger generation as violent or careless.
Since Delaware Teen Idol started back in 2005, the program has taken on a life of its own.
While the event started out in the auditorium at Howard High School, it quickly moved to the historic Dupont Theatre, now known as the Playhouse Theatre.
Frank Hawkins, director of education and outreach at AIDS Delaware, is a founder of the Delaware Teen Idol program. AIDS Delaware wasn’t operating a summer youth program at the time, so Hawkins thought of “American Idol,” since it was getting big, and came up with Delaware Teen Idol to keep kids engaged and out of trouble.
The competition showcases youth talent in the form of singing, rapping and poetry. Their performances focus on particular topics such as HIV/AIDS, mental health, substance abuse and teen pregnancy. All of the youth performers use their own original lyrics.
Hawkins believes that Delaware Teen Idol has become a well-known, effective program throughout Delaware.
“When we look at the notoriety of the program, people know Delaware Teen Idol is a worthwhile program that allows youth to disseminate messages applied to issues that are actually going on in their lives and in our society,” he said.
Hawkins said the program has not only grown in name recognition — it has also expanded its ability to keeps kids engaged after the competition is over.
“We have another program called Life After Idol. After Delaware Teen Idol, we didn’t have a way to keep in touch with the teens and keep them engaged, so we came up with this creative idea,” he said. “The youth that participate in Delaware Teen Idol, whether they are winners or not, we engage them with other organizations that are looking for performers, and they go out and perform their pieces at different events and functions.”
Hawkins said there are about 15-20 youth actively involved in the Life After Idol program, and that it allows them to continue to stay out of trouble and be successful.
“Personally, I get very excited about Teen Idol because I really enjoy seeing the creativity that these youth have, and we all have a good time that night. I enjoy seeing these young people be in the spotlight for the right reasons and watching them shine.”
Tickets for the event are $5. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the show begins at 6 p.m. at the Playhouse on Rodney Square, 1007 N. Market St. in Wilmington. For more information, visit www.aidsdelaware.org.