More than 400 students have written essays and submitted them to EdTA focusing on topics ranging from the importance of diversity to the value of theatre education in a democratic society. Each year's winner earns a trip to Washington, D.C. to take part in National Arts Advocacy Day, where he or she reads their essay before attendees and visits Capitol Hill to meet with legislators to talk about the value of arts education. In 2017  EdTA implemented a Theatre Arts Education Advocacy Day where Theatre Educators from around the US went to Washington to advocate for theatre arts education

 
 As we celebrate Theatre in Our Schools month, it’s a good time to reflect on how theatre education has impacted you and your fellow students, and why theatre and other arts are important to our society. The DemocracyWorks essay contest is an opportunity for you to tell your theatre story and to make the case for the arts as a key component of our democratic system of government.

Theatre Education Advocacy Day, sponsored by the Educational Theatre Association, brings together arts education advocates from throughout the country to meet with legislators on behalf of a wide range of arts issues, including arts education. Nevada’s essay competition winner(s) will attend the 2023 Theatre Education Advocacy Day in DC with Nevada’s Arts Chapter Directors Sharon Chadwick and Krysta Phenix.

 
Nevada Thespians Democracyworks 2023 Guidelines

On September 30th, 2022, President Biden signed an executive order reestablishing the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, noting that “The arts, the humanities and museum and library services are essential to the well-being, health, vitality and democracy of our Nation.” 

Think about your experiences in theatre education and how they benefited you, then respond to the following prompt inspired by President Biden's quote:

How have your theatre education experiences helped prepare you to actively participate in our democracy?

 
A panel of Theatre Education professionals will choose essay winner(s) based on his or her application and response to the above question.
 
Eligibility: Any inducted member of the International Thespian Society (by May 1st, 2023) who is in “good standing” with their home troupe and enrolled in middle school or high school during the 2022-2023 school year may submit an essay. Important: If your essay is selected you must be available to attend Theatre Education Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., July 19-22.
 
 
Submission procedures: All essays must be between 500-700 words, based on the prompt, and submitted electronically via this form.  All participants will receive an email confirming their submission just after the due date of March 21th.
 
Awards: The winners will receive hotel, transportation and registration to Theatre Education Advocacy Day in Washington DC in July 2023
 
Deadline for submission: March 21, 2023