It's that time of year for honors, recognitions, and awards for the students in our programs. As you are making these decisions take a few minutes to brainstorm how you can recognize students, parent volunteers, colleagues, and administrators throughout the entire year.
A great way to start your own department recognition program is have your PR and Marketing Officer begin a "Technician Tuesday", "Spotlight on a Performer", or "Volunteer of the Month" Facebook and Instagram post each week. These are free, can be widely shared via social media, and can be entirely managed by students.
Most school and districts put out calls for recognition of students. During a busy show season, it takes extra effort to fill out an application or write up a short essay. However, not only do our theatre students deserve the recognition, but this honor can also shine a light on a theatre program and the great work students are doing. Consider looking beyond your local community. Many congressional districts, statewide, and national awards are looking for students to honor for their dedication and commitment to an activity.
Service and community organizations are often looking for honorees, especially those who volunteer their time and talents to school programs. Keep in mind those parents who feed the cast and crews during show week, the parent who runs errands, the colleague who helps during rehearsals, or the alumna who comes back to help coach the actors or technicians. These folks are donating their time because they believe in the program, but an extra thank you can go a long way. Many of these award ceremonies are held in public and come with great press coverage for both the volunteer and your theatre program.
The Educational Theatre Association has a wide range of awards and honors for adults who support our programs. The administrator of the year is a fantastic way to recognize a principal, dean of students, activities director, superintendent, or other admin who has a track record of promoting our program and championing the students.
It's important for our students to recognize the work of their fellow Thespians and for all of us to honor those adults volunteers who contribute to our theatre programs.
PS-don't forget to nominate your own program for awards and honors too!
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Krista Carson Elhai
Vice President, Educational Theatre Association
Educational Theatre Foundation National Board of Trustees
Past President, CA Educational Theatre Association
Membership Chair, California State Thespians
Claremont CA
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