The 9th-Annual Champions for ACT BreakFEST (CFAB) is back this April and coming to the St. Pete Pier. Hosted by the Arts Conservatory for Teens and presented by First Home Bank and Heritage Insurance, the event is a Pre-Kentucky Derby Breakfast with the traditional Derby fare. The Champions for ACT BreakFEST is on Thursday, April 21st from 8-9:30 am and promises to be an empowering morning of music, art, and inspiration.

The event helps to support ACT’s mission to improve the lives of teens by providing arts education to underserved public schools and communities. Tickets are available here.

Hosted by ACT Co-Founder Dr. Alex Harris, the celebration will feature some of ACT’s most accomplished alumni. Expect cameos and surprise guest performances from community leaders, including celebrated musicians, business and civic leaders, and philanthropic leaders. The breakfast will also feature moving performances by the students that the Arts Conservatory for Teens helps teach and support.

Arts Conservatory for Teens offers path to the arts

Founded in St. Petersburg in 2012 by creative thought leaders Alex Harris and Herbert Murphy, and business executive and philanthropists Derek Berset and Shelia Reilly, ACT offers world- class training in the digital marketing, media and creative workforce, providing a path for underserved communities to receive professional training and experience for life beyond high- school graduation.

Dr. Harris says ACT is dedicated to serving under-served and at-risk communities throughout the bay area, using the arts as a catalyst to prepare students for high school graduation, higher education and the workforce. Many of their students have cultivated their gifts and talents in the performing arts and gone on to the likes of Berklee College of Music and Otterbein University, establishing careers in television, film, music entertainment and Broadway

Seeing a need in the local community for teens, and with more than 40 years of experience in the arts and youth development, Harris and Murphy developed a curriculum that has a strong appeal with teenagers providing programming that is fun, educational, empowering and culturally enriching. The model developed is not a typical after school “program.” It is strategically career focused, innovative and life changing.

Since its inception, Arts Conservatory for Teens has helped to change the lives of over 13,000 students.Learn more about ACT here, and get tickets for the ACT Breakfast on The Pier here.