Arkansas

Thespians

Advocacy

“It is imperative that all students have access to an equitable delivery of arts education that includes dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts that supports their educational, social, and emotional well-being, taught by certified professional arts educators in partnership with community arts providers.”

Getting Started

Establish a positive and open communication channel with your school administrators.
Make a point to learn when your school board meets and who its members are.
Find out who the local decision makers are and reach out to them: the mayor, district school superintendent, city council, chamber of commerce, superintendent, etc.
Build a network of supporters that you can call on when there is a need for quick action.

Teachers

Contact other ITS troupe directors in your district to help organize a long-term theatre education advocacy strategy.

Students

Participate in the year-round Theatre In Our Schools (TIOS) campaign, an effort to promote awareness of theatre education's value and purpose in schools across America, culminating in a month-long celebration in March. Encourage your fellow Thespians to do the same, and begin planning how you can promote TIOS at public events--shows, school board meetings, and your Thespian conferences. TIOS is jointly sponsored by the Educational Theatre Association and the American Alliance for Theatre & Education.

Community Members

Attend school board meetings and request to get on the agenda. Use the materials provided to advocate for starting a theatre program or growing resources for the theatre program.

Getting Involved Locally

How do I get Involved?

Most decisions about theatre in the school curriculum are made at the local level by principals, superintendents, and school boards.

Join us in March along with thousands of students and theatre educators to raise awareness of the impact of theatre education. Together we can draw attention to the need for more access to theatre education for all students. Help spread the message to your communities—friends, family, social media followers, school boards, elected officials, and more—that theatre education teaches vital 21st-century skills critical to success on and off the stage!