Posted April 22, 2008 -- Actress Rosie Perez is using her celebrity for good. Serving as the artistic board chair for Working Playground, a non-profit cultural organization, she is callling upon her celebrity friends to take part in Master Class 2008, a program where artists give seminars to school students to help keep art in the classrooms. Last week, rapper Pharoahe Monch, music producer Corey Rooney, actor Michael K. Williams, and choreographer Obediah Wright all spoke separately and simultaneously during 20-minute seminars about their respective careers. Following the seminars, an elaborate Q&A was held for the entire participating student body with Rosie Perez and each Master Artist.

Founded in 1991, Working Playground has been working diligently in providing a sturdy foundation for K-12 students in NYC. Specializing in theater, playwriting, animated video production, film, fashion, music, dance, and the visual arts, Working Playground has reached more than 50,000 New York City students, their teachers and parents in more than 250 public schools.

Master Class 2008, a series created by Working Playground to give students quality time to interact with accomplished artists who have excelled in various art forms, is in its third consecutive and successful year and recently invaded the hallways of The Facing History School in New York City.

Phillip Courtney, the Director of Working Playground was very pleased with the outcome and support for this year’s Master Class event.” The Master Class series has an incredibly positive effect on our students, and encourages them to take themselves seriously as academic achievers and artists. We are thrilled that founding sponsor Target has come on board, again this year, to expand this program to more students in more schools”.

For more information about Working Playground, log on to http://workingplayground.org/