Blogs

When it comes to deciding where to go for your college education, you may be torn between two or more top universities and colleges for students. You probably also realize that you need all of the top education that you can get since this will mean a fantastic and interesting experience for you. So what is the best option for you? You know which one you want to go to so you should narrow your search down as much as possible. But which two or three tops universities and colleges for students are the best choice for you? There are many ways to narrow down the search for the best education for your kids. You can visit each of the universities and colleges ...

EdTA members have elected three board directors in voting that closed March 17, 2021. Krista Carson Elhai of Claremont, California, will become the association’s next vice president/president; Joannarae Ibañez of Pico Rivera, California, and Mary Schuttler of Greeley, Colorado, will serve as board directors. These elected board directors will be joined by Leslie Johnson of Long Beach, California, who has been selected for an appointed board position. Together, the new board directors bring a broad cross-section of educator experience to EdTA’s governing board: Krista Carson Elhai is a theatre educator at Claremont High School. She has been a California ...

How would you describe your own high school theatre experience? Was it a space where you learned to feel confident? To express yourself? To empathize? Those were the themes our 2021 Democracyworks winners shared in response to this prompt: How does theatre support your social and emotional well-being and foster a welcoming school environment?   Sponsored by Concord Theatricals , the contest is a unique opportunity for Thespians interested in advocating for theatre education. In addition to a cash prize, the winning essayist for this coveted award participates in EdTA’s spring advocacy efforts, including activities such as virtual visits to legislators, ...

Looking for a direct way to advocate for theatre education during Theatre in Our Schools month? Join in EdTA’s Virtual Capitol Hill Week March 22-26 and meet with the elected officials who are shaping federal policies and legislation impacting how education is conducted in your state. All adult members and student are eligible to participate without cost. This program is part of the Arts ARE Education campaign’s Arts Education Capitol Hill Month, in which advocates from all arts education disciplines will conduct virtual visits with their legislators. Anyone is welcome to register for ARE Arts Education Hill Month Kickoff Town Hall on March 2 at 5 p.m. ...

On February 2, 2020, I was proud to be one of a panel of presenters in a Theatre Town Hall along with Julie Theobald and Jim Palmarini of EdTA and Alexis Truitt of the American Alliance for Theatre in Education. The town hall was both a listening tour and an introduction to Arts Are Education , is a new national campaign advocating for funding, maintaining, and growing PreK-12 arts education programs in the 2021-22 school year and beyond.  Arts Are Education is  i nspired by the  “Arts Education is Essential,” statement released last April, sponsored by the  National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS), an EdTA partner,  Arts Are Education encourages ...

Following the announcement of a three-year strategic plan for improving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the association, EdTA has received two grants to develop DEI-focused programs and member supports. With a $50,000 National Endowment for the Arts Grant for Arts Projects award , EdTA will launch a technical theatre education project called Behind the Scenes for the 2021-22 school year. In partnership with Morgan State University, a historically Black college (HBCU), EdTA will bring together pre-service educators and designers and technicians of color to develop and teach tech theatre curriculum units alongside classroom teachers to Baltimore ...

The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards has launched Arts ARE Education , a national campaign encouraging school districts to continue to fund and support K-12 arts education programs — including theatre — in the 2021-22 school year. Given expected state and district budget cuts, calls for remedial education in tested subject areas, and the continued need for PPE equipment, NCCAS expects that arts programs across all disciplines will be at risk.  The campaign asks advocates of all ages to take three action steps through its website :    Sign the Arts ARE Education Pledge committing your support for arts education. Reach out to your district ...

It has been a year like no other in education. As a theatre educator, like all other teachers, the pandemic demanded that you pivot your instruction and do your best to ensure meaningful learning outcomes for your students -- whether in a virtual, hybrid, or altered classroom environment where safety was the highest priority. Performance opportunities for students, so fundamental to the art, needed to be reimagined online and you and many of your fellow theatre teachers did that, creating innovative theatrical stories that engaged both the students and their home-bound audiences. Thank you for that — you are heroes! The challenges ahead Now, as the 2020-21 ...

Has theatre been a lifeline for your students during COVID? Encourage them to enter EdTA’s 12th annual Democracyworks essay competition, designed to support and grow student advocacy for arts education. The winner will receive a $250 cash award, a pass to attend Americans for the Arts’ virtual National Arts Action Summit , and publication of his or her winning essay on Dramatics.org, EdTA’s student website.  All Thespians and Junior Thespians (must be inducted by March 1) are eligible. The deadline to submit essays is February 7. This year’s competition ties into current events, along with EdTA’s participation in the national advocacy campaign Arts ARE ...

Attention, troupe directors: Want your students to experience the thrill of having their performance broadcast to thousands of fellow Thespians? There’s still time to submit your troupe’s production for the Virtual ITF 2021 main stage. Due to COVID-19 related disruptions to schools in late 2020, the deadline to apply for main stage adjudication will be extended to January 31. Just like in-person ITF, the Virtual ITF main stage will feature top performances from across the country. At least six shows will be selected in two categories: Live performances (including virtual) Hybrid and video-enhanced performances (prerecorded) What’s different: This ...

One of the main goals for our Theatre Education Community is to help theatre students and professionals from all over connect and identify with each other in order to build resources and support the theatre education field. We shine a spotlight on different members by conducting a simple interview. Our next Spotlight is Lindsay Brustein, an EdTA professional member and the theatre teacher for St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin, Texas. Lindsay has been involved in our Community for several years and contributes encouragement, advice, and interesting questions to inspire conversation.   Do you have any tips for new theatre teachers?   ...

Who will join the EdTA Board of Directors in 2021? The slate of candidates for next year’s election has been finalized. Three candidates are running for one vice president/president seat, and nine for two director seats. One candidate has joined the slate by petitioning prior to the filing deadline. The 2021 ballot also will include proposed changes to the code of regulations. Read more about the proposed changes in the 2021 Election Library . The election will begin in late January by way of online balloting. All members in good standing as of January 4, 2021, will be eligible to vote. Members will receive voting instructions via email in mid-January; ...

New in March 2021 : Visit our updated documentation page for helpful manuals and videos on using the new Membership Portal. EdTA has completed the upgrade to our member management software. This upgrade will provide streamlined operations, integrated technology systems, and advanced features that give you more flexibility to manage your member experience. As with any technology implementation, this new system comes with a learning curve – and the rollout process is never without hiccups. Thanks to those who have helped troubleshoot by reporting bugs and questions. To help with the learning curve, here’s a quick guide to using the system: Terms ...