Blogs

Free money for theatre education (almost) Now that I have your attention, here’s what I want to talk about: federal funding for theatre education programs. That’s right—money from Washington that can actually come directly to your program. This is not a fantasy. It’s real and it’s now. I’m talking about the American Rescue Relief Plan (ARP) that was signed into law in March. Embedded in the $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package is the Elementary and Secondary Education Relief fund (ESSER) that represents an unprecedented level of financial support for public education. ESSER III, called that as it is the third round of federal funding intended to help ...

EdTA troupe directors are closing the curtain on an incredibly challenging school year. As you pack up your props and clean up your dressing rooms, here’s your ITS end-of-year checklist: A summary of reminders and useful information about your troupe business to help you close out this year and prepare for the next.   ☑ Take care of outstanding balances.   Have all your inductions and dues for 2020-21 been paid?  L og in  then choose My Orders on the left to check your  account, and  be sure to resolve any unpaid balances. Contact  members@schooltheatre.org  or (513) 421-3900 ext. 1 with questions.   ☑ Process troupe director changes. ...

The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) is looking for 20-25 theatre educators, currently teaching in the classroom, who would be willing to create ten model lesson plans illustrating the ways in which theatre education can teach social and emotional skills.  Teachers accepted for the project will be given professional development in making clear connections between theatre instruction and social and emotional learning skills paired with a professional development intensive in assessment for learning.  The time commitment will include a one hour kick off meeting, any time needed to create or re-work ten existing lesson plans,  plus a total of four hours ...

The Princess Grace Foundation has partnered with the Educational Theatre Foundation to instill a major investment in the continuing education of promising young theatre artists. Thanks to a generous gift from the Victory Foundation, $500,000 will be allocated over 10 years to the Grace Kelly Scholarship program, awarded to students who show creative promise in their area of the theatrical arts, with an emphasis on traditionally underserved communities. Through the International Thespian Excellence Awards (Thespys®), the newly established program will provide extraordinary young theatre students at the high school level with financial support and mentorships ...

The EdTA board has filled three board vacancies with experienced, longtime educators who bring stability, continuity, and diversity to the board and association. Your current board of directors now includes: Gai Laing Jones President/Past President Term ends June 30, 2022 Helen Duranleau-Brennan Vice President/President Term ends June 30, 2024 Laurie Baskin Secretary Term ends June 30, 2021 Jeff Whiting Treasurer Term ends June 30, 2023 Erin Carr Board Director Term ends June 30, 2023 Mark Drum Board Director ...

At the peak time for student inductions, EdTA has a new student induction option that lets International Thespian Society (ITS) troupe directors honor more students and will help grow their programs. Thanks to the recent upgrade to EdTA’s online membership portal , Thespians and Junior Thespians can now be inducted into the same troupe . What does this mean for troupe directors? If you’re part of a small or rural school where you can’t meet the six-student minimum for two separate troupes, it’s now possible to form one troupe with just six total students across grades 6-12. High school troupes can begin building feeder programs at the middle school ...

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. ...