The Thespian Growth & Excellence Fund is the next generation of the Thespian Relief grant program, launched in the fall of 2020 to help schools dealing with pandemic-related box office losses. The grant program continued to help schools in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years as pandemic uncertainty persisted and limited ticket sales and fundraising abilities negatively impacted theatre programs nationwide.
By the end of 2022, The Thespian Relief Fund has awarded 301 grants to 228 schools, totaling $215,000 in assistance provided to school theatre programs, many at schools with Title 1 designations.
Applications
Grants Rewarded
Dollars Granted
Schools Assisted
Students Benefited
As school theatre programs look to the future and continue to rebuild and grow, the Educational Theatre Foundation has reimagined the program to meet their needs for growth and excellence. We are excited to announce that the Thespian Growth & Excellence Fund is designed to help build capacity, enhance school theatre programs, and support theatre teachers and students.
Six different types of grants are available for schools to develop and grow their theatre programs:
Covers Thespian troupe dues ($129) and the activation or reactivation fee ($100) for new or lapsed Thespian troupes, respectively.
Can be used for professional development for theatre teachers that would benefit their students, including coursework, EdTA’s Theatre Education Conference registration fees, and related travel expenses.
Can cover expenses related to the production of a play or musical, including but not limited to licensing fees, rentals, sets, costumes, etc.
Can be used for schools to secure tickets for students to attend professional and/or collegiate theatrical performances and toward associated travel costs.
Used to help schools recovering from an emergency rebuild and/or re-establish a theatre department.
Can be awarded to help school theatre programs with large technical purchases that upgrade the resources available for theatrical use, such as lighting and sound equipment.
Eligibility: Any school with an active Thespian troupe is eligible to apply for any Thespian Growth and Excellence Grant. (Exceptions are made for the Membership Grants, which can help schools become active Thespian troupes.) Schools may apply for a maximum of two (2) grants per academic year, with the exception of the Equipment Upgrade grant, which limits schools to one (1) grant application only. Applications are prioritized based on demonstrated need, such as Title 1 status. The grants must be claimed within 30 days from the notification of the award and checks should be cashed within 90 days of issuance, or the grants will be automatically forfeited.
For questions, please contact: foundation@schooltheatre.org
Grants will be awarded annually based on funding availability and application status.
The application deadline for 2024 grants is October 20, 2023.
A free EdTA account must be created to access and submit the form.
Thank you to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids and Concord Theatricals for supporting the Thespian Growth & Excellence Fund.
To grow the impact on our schools, students, and teachers, the Fund also needs your support.
When you give to the Thespian Relief Fund, you help school theatre programs in these ways and more.
Leeds High School Theatre
W.P. Davidson High School
Theodore High School
Dothan Preparatory Academy
Kodiak High School
Palo Verde High School
Benson High School
Gilbert High School
Florence High School
East Valley High School
Parkview High School
Osceola High School
Wilbur D. Mills University Studies High School
Heber Springs High School
Newport Special School District
Whistler Secondary School
Grand Terrace High School
Cabrillo High School
Rancho Buena Vista High School
San Gorgonio High School
Brookhurst Junior High School
San Jacinto High School
Willow Glen High School
American Canyon High School
El Toro High School
Carlsbad High School
Benton Middle School
Bakersfield High School
Napa High School
Cajon High School
Ontario High School
Cosumnes Oaks High School
Oroville High School
Highland High School
Canyon Springs High School
Washington Middle School
Alameda International High School
Parker Performing Arts School
Rangeview High School
Eaton High School
North High School
Admiral Herbert G. Hopwood Middle School
Marianas High School
Bassick High School
Miami Senior High
Vanguard High School
Golden Gate High School
Arthur & Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts
Brandon High School
Plant City High School
Miami Killian Senior High School
Sheridan Technical High School
Fort Lauderdale High School
Burns Middle School
Santaluces High School
Miami Beach Nautilus Middle School
Maynard Evans High School
Strawberry Crest High School
Bright Futures Academy Charter School
West Nassau High School
St. Cloud High School
Lake Worth Community High School
Central High School
St. John Neumann Catholic High School
Don Soffer Aventura High School
Leto High School
Jose de Diego Middle School
Williams Middle School
Liberty High School
J.P. Travaella High School
Dr. Earl J. Lennard High School
Neptune Middle School
Herbert Hoover Middle School
Marathon Middle High School
Osceola High School
Lake Worth Community High School
Redland Middle School
Westside Middle School
Collins Hill High School
Newnan High School
Rockdale County High School
Alcovy High School
West Hall Middle School
Salem High School
T.J. Edler Middle School
Jefferson County High School
Central High School
Ridgeland High School
Iao Intermediate School
Hongwanji Mission School
Pacific Buddhist Academy
Alton High School
United Township High School
De La Salle Institute
Plano Community High School
Canton High School
Jeffersonville High School
Munster High School
Rensselaer Central High School
Jasper High School
Merrillville High School
Madison Consolidated High School
Rochester Community High School
Logansport Junior High School
Logansport High School
Franklin Central Junior Thespians
Cedar Rapids George Washington High School
Garden City High School
Leavenworth High School
Ottawa High School
Elizabethtown High School
Leestown Middle School
Randall K. Cooper High School
Spencer County Schools
George Washington Carver HIgh School
Abramson Sci Academy
Pineville High School Magnet for the Performing Arts
SummerStone Academy
McKinley Middle Academic Magnet
Alexandria Senior High School
Dutchtown Primary School
High Point High School
Owings Mills High School
Mt. Hebron High School
Patuxent High School
North East High School
Northern Garrett High School
Wheaton High School
Monarch Global Academy
The Empowerment Academy
Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women
Mardela Middle & High School
A. Mario Loiederman Middle School for the Creative and Performing Arts
Northwestern High School
Northwood High School
The MacDuffie School
Harrison Community High School
Belding Area Schools
Coopersville Public Schools
Waconia High School
Centennial Middle School
West Point High School
Madison Middle School
Forsyth High School
Sullivan High School
Columbia Falls High School
Kearney High School Theatre
Equipo Academy East Las Vegas College Prep
Rancho High School
Ateres Bnos Ita
Hollis Brookline High School
Gloucester City School District
Voorhees High School
Passaic Preparatory Academy
Hoover Middle School
Santa Fe High School
South Glens Falls High School
Great Neck North High School
Monroe-Woodbury High School
John Jay High School
Walt Whitman High School
Palisade Preparatory School
Waterford Halfmoon Union Free School District
McDowell High School
North East Carolina Preparatory School
Page High School
Carolina International School
Roxboro Community School
Penn-Griffin School for the Arts
A. L. Brown High School
Excelsior Classical Academy
Murphy High School/Murphy Middle School
Valley-Edinburg Public Schools
Elyria High School
Kings High School
Columbus Alternative High School
Harrison Hills City School District
Madison High School
John Marshall High School
Chaviva High School
Blanchester High School
Delphos Jefferson High School
Troy High School
Westerville Central High School
Bethel High School
Nordonia High School
Wayne High School
Stilwell High School
U.S. Grant High School
Sam Barlow High School
Governor Mifflin High School
Springfield Middle School
Palmyra Area High School
The Philadelphia HS for Creative and Performing Arts
Westinghouse Arts Academy
Memphis Central High School
Oakland Middle School
Tipton-Rosemark Academy
LaVergne Middle School
Foy H. Moody High School
Wunderlich Intermediate
Central Middle School
Kleb Intermediate
Holy Cross of San Antonio
Santa Ana Secondary School
Anson Jones Middle School
Keene High School
Stroman Middle School
Chavez High School
A+ Academy Secondary
Cedar Creek High School
James Bowie Middle School
Navasota High School
McCallum High School and Fine Arts Academy
Memorial High School
Howell Middle School
Leander Middle School
McAllen Memorial High School
Manor New Tech High School
Wichita Falls Senior High School
Young Women’s Leadership Academy
Horace Mann Jr. School
Oakwood ISD
Rockdale High School
Buford Middle School
Lucille M Brown Middle School
Park View High School
Thomas Boushall Middle School
Auburn Mountainview High School
Everett High School
Inglemoor High School
McKinley Technology High School
Capital High School
Parkersburg South High School
Spring Mills High School
West Virginia Academy
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