Students at Fort Scott High School Lead Community Advocacy Efforts 

Students at Fort Scott High School are joining the national grassroots  effort called Theatre in Our Schools Month (TIOS) to advocate for the benefits of theatre  education in schools. Members of International Thespian Society (ITS) Troupe #7365 are  drawing attention to the need for increased access to quality theatre programs for all students.

To get the word out, students are participating in a number of theatre related activities. On Feb.  27 the troupe participated in community service activities at the Senior Center in downtown Fort Scott. They held a Theatre in Our Schools Month Kick-Off Party on March 1 at FSHS and presents to the USD 234 Board of Education on March 9. On March 11, the troupe travels to Topeka to meet with Thespians from across the state and Senator  Tim Shallenburger and Representative Rick James to celebrate and discuss Theatre Advocacy Day in KS.

Throughout the month, the troupe will dress to represent various musicals on Musical Mondays and wear theatre-related shirts on Theatre Shirt Thursdays. They also have Improv Acting  Troupe practice on Tuesdays after school and FSMS Drama Club on Fridays after school. A group of Thespians are also traveling to New York City to see Broadway shows and tour the Broadway Museum over Spring Break. To  finish out the month, the troupe holds the annual FSHS Talent Show & Senior Minute to Win It at 7 p.m. on March 26. The Talent  Show is open to the public and tickets are $5 at the door.

The ITS is the theatre honor society for middle and high school students. These Thespians plan  and implement TIOS activities in their schools, in their communities, and with elected officials.  The presentations and activities explain how theatre education positively shapes students’ lives  by instilling necessary life skills. TIOS Month is an opportunity for students, parents,  communities, school boards, and elected officials to come together to make theatre education more available to all students. One of the key messages is that theatre skills help students develop vital 21st-century skills like communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, as well as social/emotional skills critical to students’ growth as young adults.

Sophomore Aimee Hardwick said, “Drama didn’t just teach me how to act, it taught me how to believe in myself. And while sometimes, I’m still quiet, it’s no longer because I feel like I have to, it’s because I choose to be. Drama isn’t just an activity, it’s my safe space, and it has changed my life.”

Isis Patton, sophomore, adds, “Theatre education helps students be creative with others and say what they think and feel. When students act, direct and put on a show they learn how to talk to people and see things from different points of view. These skills are useful when students are on stage and in life.”

Theatre in Our Schools is jointly sponsored by the American Alliance for Theatre & Education  (AATE) and the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA). For more information about TIOS, visit  schooltheatre.org/tios and follow #TheatreInOurSchools on social media.

About the Educational Theatre Association  

The Educational Theatre Association is an international nonprofit that serves as the professional  association for theatre educators. EdTA is the parent organization of the International Thespian  Society, the honor society for theatre students that’s inducted more than 2.5 million Thespians  since 1929. Additionally, EdTA operates the Educational Theatre Foundation, the organization’s  philanthropic arm dedicated to broadening representation and increasing access. Visit  schooltheatre.org to learn how EdTA inspires theatre educators to transform lives.

About the American Alliance for Theatre & Education 

The American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE), among the most recognized arts  education organizations, works to ensure that every young person experiences quality theatre  arts in their lives provided by proficient, talented artists and educators. Based in Washington,  DC, AATE continues to advocate for arts education, serving as a national co-sponsor of Arts  Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill and on the leadership team of the National Coalition for Core Arts  Standards (NCCAS). AATE co-authored the National Standards for Theatre Education K-12,  sits on the Arts Education Partnership steering committee as well as the Arts Education National  Advisory Council, and serves on the editorial board of the Arts Education Policy Review.

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