We are happy to announce that RCGV member, Dr. Heather McCauley, has recently released a new project!

Dr. McCauley and her team have spent the last few years working with an organization in New York City called Drama Club. Their mission is to consistently care for youth who are incarcerated or court involved by creating space for them to thrive, using improv as their guide. With her research partner, Dr. Joanne Smith-Darden, McCauley has been leading a federal grant to illustrate the powerful violence prevention impacts of the creative arts. They partnered with Ear Hustle (produced by PRX/Radiotopia) to expand dissemination; the Pulitzer Prize finalist podcast has been downloaded globally more than 85 million times!

In October 2025, Ear Hustle launched the first of a six-episode series about Drama Club called The Loop. 

Throughout the series, you will hear stories highlighting:

• The cradle-to-prison pipeline
• The power of consistency in relationships with youth
• What happens when we create safe spaces for kids to be kids