“Then close your eyes and tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself, 'There's no place like home.” And you’ll be back at the EdTA Home Office! This past weekend the ITO got back together again, reuniting in Cincinnati, Ohio, along with our mentors Kimberly Staples and Scott Wilson. We were joined by our program director Ms. Diane Carr, and as soon as we were settled in our hotel, headed over to the EdTA headquarters. That day we had the opportunity to meet with EdTA staff members (ranging from all four floors of the building!) and further a lot of our ideas for the International Thespian Festival in June. The day capped off with an early exploration of Downtown Cincinnati (and Grater’s Ice Cream of course), along with dinner bringing together the entire EdTA Staff and Board Members. We had a long, fun weekend ahead of us!
Saturday had us up bright and early ready to get to work. We headed over to meet the EdTA board and present on our work throughout the year, and had the opportunity to learn a lot about the future of ITS and the direction students are shaping it. The board members were extremely welcoming to our ideas, and we left with lots of groundwork laid for the rest of our term and for future terms to come! After grabbing a quick lunch, we headed back to our hotel, teaching a workshop on fundamental leadership skills to local Cincinnati area troupes. It was a privilege to learn about their schools and work with such inspiring, enthusiastic students!
Lucky for us, Ms. Diane Carr spent the majority of her Sunday with us, giving us insight and ideas for the next few months and helping us develop many of our plans. Over the course of Sunday and Monday, we had the privilege of sitting down with Doug Berlon and Marion Combs, discussing much of our work this past year and goals for the next few months as well. We were so grateful to spend time with almost every Home Office member, including Executive Director Julie Theobald, who met us for lunch and was more than willing to encourage us and help us grow. On Monday we met with more local troupe members, helping to develop their troupe ideas and excited to see them eager to sign up for their state conference event. Our favorite film mastermind, Jimmy T, came in to work with us as well, helping execute several exciting upcoming projects and capture images and ideas we can’t wait to see develop. With one final group dinner, we parted ways, and Tuesday morning headed back to our respective states.
A huge thank you to all of the EdTA staff members, board members, and volunteers, without whom none of this would be possible. It was a tearful goodbye, as many of us would not return to the Home Office for some time, but we were so grateful for the chance to be there and we cannot WAIT to see where the rest of this year takes us!