[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 97 (Monday, June 5, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING THE WOODEN FLOOR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. J. LUIS CORREA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 5, 2023

  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the achievements of 
one of the foremost creative youth development nonprofit organizations 
in the country, The Wooden Floor
  In 1983, Beth Burns, who at the time was a sister with the order of 
St. Joseph of Orange, founded the organization under the name Saint 
Joseph Ballet as a summer dance program for at-risk youth. The program 
was an immediate success, and by 1989, the organization was receiving 
national recognition and serving 150 students in a donated 4,000-
square-foot space in downtown Santa Ana.
  In 1998, college scholarship awards were established for the growing 
number of graduates enrolling in higher education. The following year, 
the organization grew to a 21,000-square-foot campus with three dance 
studios, education, and community centers, which were funded by 
supporters who raised a total of $6.8 million for the construction and 
establishment of their Endowment Fund.
  By the early 2000s, they grew to serve 375 students with expanding 
services, including academic assistance, college preparatory guidance, 
crisis intervention, and intensive dance immersion with leading dance 
choreographers from around the country.
  After over 20 years, founder Beth Burns retired in 2005, remaining 
connected to the organization and honored as a Board Emerita.
  2005 also marked the first year that 100 percent of their graduates 
enrolled in college, a feat that has continued to this day. In 2009, 
the organization changed its name to The Wooden Floor, with the tag 
line ``From here, you can step anywhere,'' to reflect the comprehensive 
nature of their supportive model.
  Locally, The Wooden Floor expanded in 2018 to serve an additional 100 
students and their families at a second location in Santa Ana, totaling 
nearly 500 students year-round who are served from 3rd through 12th 
grade. Celebrating 40 Years of Impact in 2023, with national and 
international grants and awards, an innovative brand refresh and the 
launch of an Endowment Campaign called Step Forward, The Wooden Floor 
is positioned to propel young people forward well into the next 40 
years through its new mission statement: ``To inspire and transform the 
lives of young people through the power of dance and access to higher 
education.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the exceptional 
contributions and achievements of The Wooden Floor.

                          ____________________