The Penguin Project of McLean County

What The Penguin Project of McLean County does

The Penguin Project of McLean County (PPMC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community theatre organization founded in 2009 in Normal, Illinois, as the first replication site of the national Penguin Project® model created by Dr. Andrew Morgan in Peoria in 2003. The organization produces one modified Broadway musical annually at U-High's Stroud Auditorium, casting young artists ages 10-24 with developmental disabilities (Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual, learning, visual, and hearing impairments) alongside same-age peer mentors ages 12-24 who learn all lines, songs, and blocking to provide on-stage support through a four-month rehearsal cycle.

Operationally, PPMC runs on a small staff of 1-10 with extensive volunteer involvement from local families, schools, and corporate partners. The organization operates a fee-free model for participants, sustaining itself through ticket sales, community donations, and a fiscal partnership with the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation that confers 501(c)(3) tax deductibility. Leadership is a volunteer board (Chair Lori Slightom, Vice Chair Laurie Bederka, Executive Director Jackie Gunderson, Treasurer Doug Bowers, Secretary Catie Sokal-Borland, plus Advisory Members Nathan Schertz and Janice Forrest) supported by a creative team including choreographer, music director, costume designer, stage manager, mentor coordinator, and penguin coordinator roles.

Recent product and mission developments include the launch of an Audience Inclusion Committee in 2025 to extend the "Unrestricted Access" mission to audience accessibility (social stories, pre-visit videos), the addition of new creative staff in 2024, and a $2,000 fiscal-sponsor grant from the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation in May 2025. The Penguin Project® trademark is registered nationally, and PPMC is one of over 60 replication sites of the parent organization across the United States. Distribution is limited to McLean County, with marketing conducted through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, podcast features, and local magazine coverage.

Name

The Penguin Project of McLean County

Legal name

The Penguin Project of McLean County

Website

https://penguinprojectmclean.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Penguin Project of McLean County is a Normal, Illinois-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that annually pairs young artists ages 10-24 with developmental disabilities alongside peer mentors to produce modified Broadway musicals at U-High's Stroud Auditorium, sustained by ticket sales and community donations since 2009.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inclusive Community Theatre

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Inclusive theatre program
• Community performing arts
• Disability arts access
• Youth musical productions
• Nonprofit arts organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from audience ticket sales for annual theatre productions.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations through fiscal partnership with Illinois Prairie Community Foundation (501(c)(3) status), supplemented by volunteer contributions and community partner support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Penguin Project of McLean County runs an annual inclusive theatre program in which young artists aged 10–24 with developmental disabilities are paired with peer mentors aged 12–24 and together rehearse and perform a modified Broadway musical over a 4-month cycle. The program culminates in live public performances at U-High's Stroud Auditorium in Normal, Illinois, with all participation offered at no cost to artists or mentors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Penguin Project® McLean County Inclusive Theatre Program Annual inclusive theatre program pairing young artists with developmental disabilities (ages 10–24) with peer mentors (ages 12–24) to perform a modified Broadway musical at U-High's Stroud Auditorium in Normal, Illinois; offered at no cost to participants.
• Annual Broadway Musical Productions Yearly modified Broadway musical performances staged at U-High's Stroud Auditorium and open to the general public, including productions such as Newsies, Jr. (2025), SpongeBob The Musical, Youth Edition (2024), The Big One-Oh! Jr. (2023), Shrek: The Musical, Jr. (2022), Willy Wonka, Jr. (2019), and earlier shows dating back to 2009.
• Peer Mentor Program Volunteer pairing system linking each young artist with an age-level peer mentor who learns all lines, songs, and blocking and provides side-by-side support throughout rehearsals and on-stage during performances.
• Audience Inclusion Resources (Unrestricted Access) Accessibility resources for audience members including social stories and video content designed to help new attendees know what to expect and ease anxiety about access or inclusion at performances.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of surveyed artists and mentors reported feeling more proud of themselves since being part of the Penguin Project
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Easter Seals: Large national nonprofit providing disability services including some arts and recreation programming; comparable to Penguin Project of McLean County in serving the disability community but operating across many service lines rather than specializing in performing arts.
• The Penguin Project (National): The national parent organization founded by Dr. Andrew Morgan in Peoria, Illinois in 2003; not a competitor but the umbrella network that licenses the Penguin Project® model to 60+ replication sites including the McLean County chapter.
• National Arts and Disability Center (UCLA): UCLA-affiliated center promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in all areas of the arts; comparable in mission (disability inclusion in the performing arts) but acts as an enabling/advocacy organization rather than a producing theatre.

Direct peers

• Phamaly Theatre Company: Denver-based nonprofit theatre company whose casts and crews are made up entirely of people with disabilities; comparable to Penguin Project of McLean County in that both produce full theatrical productions featuring performers with disabilities as the core artistic model.
• Graeae Theatre Company: UK-based professional theatre company led by and featuring disabled artists; comparable to Penguin Project of McLean County in its disability-led theatrical production model, though operating internationally and at a professional, not youth-community, scale.
• National Disability Theatre: National nonprofit producing professional theatrical work featuring performers with disabilities; comparable to Penguin Project of McLean County in mission (inclusive performing arts for people with disabilities) and delivery (live theatrical productions), though operating at a professional rather than youth/amateur scale.
• Mixed Blood Theatre: Minneapolis-based professional theatre known for radical inclusion in casting (including performers with disabilities) and community-driven programming; comparable to Penguin Project of McLean County in its commitment to inclusive casting and audience access, though operating at a professional scale.

Regional players

• Community Players of Bloomington-Normal: Local community theatre serving the same Bloomington-Normal geography as Penguin Project of McLean County; comparable in being a volunteer-driven community theatre producing annual productions, though not disability-focused.

Broad incumbents

• VSA / Accessibility at the Kennedy Center: Long-running national program (founded 1974) providing arts education and performance opportunities for people with disabilities; comparable in mission but operates as a broad, federally-affiliated umbrella rather than a single-site theatre producer.

Emerging players

• Inclusion Films: California-based program training adults with developmental disabilities in filmmaking and the performing arts; comparable to Penguin Project of McLean County in its focus on developing performance skills for people with developmental disabilities, though focused on film/TV rather than live theatre.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/penguinprjctMC
• Facebookfacebook.com/penguinprojectmclean
• Instagraminstagram.com/penguinprojectmclean
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/penguin-project-of-mclean-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Penguin Project of McLean County