"Everyone needs to express themselves well. It's not just what you say, but how you say it." – Tye Noorda

The Theatre for Youth and Education (TYE) Center, originally known as the Noorda Regional Theatre Center for Children and Youth, was founded in 2009 with a generous gift from the Ray and Tye Noorda Foundation. The TYE Center is part of the UVU Department of Theatrical Arts for Stage and Screen.

The TYE Center facilitates Sensory Friendly Performances for both the Plays for Young Audience and Theatre Department Main Season Shows.

Benefactor Tye Noorda was raised in rural Utah and had few opportunities to perform. After high school, she attended the University of Utah, participated in several speech competitions, and performed in theatre productions. Tye believed these experiences sculpted who she grew to be. She developed her self-confidence and created a willingness to put herself in challenging, difficult, and ultimately rewarding, situations

It is in the spirit of Tye Noorda's resilience and commitment to children and youth in which we operate. We strive to provide performance and public speaking opportunities for all children and youth while also training enthusiastic teachers of the arts through the following programs:

• Providing teacher training opportunities to UVU students through the annual Noorda Theatre Summer Camp for children ages 5-17. This camp features two productions as well as courses in creative drama, musical theatre, dance and movement, acting, stage combat, and more.
• Supporting university theatre productions for young audiences.
• Producing touring productions that feature UVU student actors and travel to schools in both local and rural communities.
• Facilitating conferences and special events for educators, UVU students, and the community on topics relevant to practitioners of the arts.
• Developing new scripts for young people to see and to perform.
• Sponsoring two annual playwriting contests.
• Coordinating on-campus visits from guest lecturers who are working professionals in the Theatre for Young Audiences field.
• Providing support to after school drama programs in Title I elementary schools.
• Supporting university courses in Theatre for Children and Youth; Storytelling; Puppetry; Creative Drama; and Applied Theatre.
• Hosting sensory-friendly performances of our Theatre for Young Audiences productions.

Staff