1. Charter a troupe and recognize student achievement

2. PRIDE CONFIDENCE MOTIVATION CONFIRMATION
That’s what you instill by recognizing student accomplishments.

3. >2.2 Million
1929
Thespians inducted since

4. More than 4,400 schools
Over 100,000 active inductees a year

5. The International Thespian Society brings distinction to: students
theatre programs
schools
When students earn ITS induction, there is a sense of accomplishment on par with other honor societies.
Students will be provided assessment, competition, performance, and leadership opportunities at the local, state, and international level.

6. Recognizing, rewarding, and encouraging student achievement
Maximize the effectiveness of your school’s theatre program by:
Recognizing, rewarding, and encouraging student achievement
Induction into ITS includes tangible benefits to the students in the form of pins, certificates, member cards, and publications.
An ITS troupe quickly becomes a very visible, positive symbol of the theatre program in the school and community.
Having inductions recognized by an international organization lends distinction to the honor, making it a valuable addition to any student’s resume.
The process of working toward induction and achieving additional honors provides clear, attainable goals, keeping students motivated.
ITS offers students opportunities to excel at the local, state, and international level and receive tangible recognition with custom pins, medals, trophies, and more.

7. Celebrating the work of students involved in all aspects of theatre
Maximize the effectiveness of your school’s theatre program by:
Celebrating the work of students involved in all aspects of theatre
Students earn points for all of their contributions to the theatre program.
Performance
Promotion
Construction
Stage management
Direction
Business management
Lighting
Costumes
Sound
Make-up
Leadership
Design

8. 3. Student leadership opportunities
Maximize the effectiveness of your school’s theatre program with:
3. Student leadership opportunities
Student leadership is a valuable addition to any resume.
Troupes and State Chapters have multiple officer positions.
Being an officer provides Thespians with the responsibility to demonstrate and practice leadership skills in a small and cohesive group.
Chapter, state, and international leadership opportunities allow dedicated officers to reach beyond the scope of their own troupe’s program.

9. Maximize the effectiveness of your school’s theatre program with:
4. State Chapter events
Expand students’ educational and theatrical horizons by providing exposure to theatre arts educators, professionals, and peers beyond their own schools.
Allow students to gain perspective by participating and competing with peers from across their state.
Promote a strong sense of belonging to a community beyond students’ own schools.
States/regions with chapter events,

10. Maximize the effectiveness of your school’s theatre program with:
5. National events
These events offer another opportunity to expand students’ horizons by providing exposure to theatre arts educators, professionals, and peers beyond their own school.
International Thespian Festival is a weeklong immersion in performance, critical observation, and learning. Activities include workshops and performances, college and scholarship auditions, individual event assessments, and much more.
Junior Festival is a two day event with one day of activities exclusively for Junior Thespians to participate in Junior National Individual Events and workshops.

11. 95% 6. Grant and award programs
Maximize the effectiveness of your school’s theatre program with:
6. Grant and award programs
ITS troupes have opportunities to recognize and honor supporters at the state, national, and international levels.
volunteers
teachers
administrators
schools
ITS scholarships at the state chapter and national level totaled over $345,000 in 2016.
95%
of school administrators believe that theatre experiences improve students’ overall academic skills.
2012 EdTA-Utah State University Survey of Theatre Education Programs in U.S. High Schools

12. 7. Opportunities for community-wide recognition and support
Maximize the effectiveness of your school’s theatre program with:
7. Opportunities for community-wide recognition and support
Funding and resources usually follow the most publicized school activities. ITS can be a valuable tool for raising a theatre program’s profile in the school and community by providing opportunities to showcase its successes.
These opportunities lead to more prestige, additional resources, and higher revenues in the form of increased ticket sales and patronage.
Opportunities include induction ceremonies, multiple honor ranks, and scholastic distinctions.
An annual national food drive and other activities offer community recognition to the troupe and school.

13. $ Increased fundraising potential
Maximize the effectiveness of your school’s theatre program with:
Increased fundraising potential
Increased awareness and stature of the theatre program because of the honor society expands its fundraising potential. $
Most high school theatre programs rely entirely on box office revenue to support their activities.
2012 EdTA-Utah State University Survey of Theatre Education Programs in U.S. High Schools

14. Royalty adjustment application assistance
Maximize the effectiveness of your school’s theatre program with:
Royalty adjustment application assistance
ITS troupes may request assistance in applying for reduced royalties for plays (non-musical) from certain publishers.
Reduced royalties mean that more money is available for theatre program operations.

15. 10. Graduation and honor items
Maximize the effectiveness of your school’s theatre program with:
10. Graduation and honor items
While good work is its own reward, additional incentives often help to motivate students to reach a little farther.
All exclusive ITS honor items are optional, so troupes may select what works best for them.
Certificates of achievement
Graduation honor cords, stoles, tassels
Trophies, plaques, medallions
ITS pin system for recognizing induction and subsequent achievements

16. 11. Professional development for troupe directors
Maximize the effectiveness of your school’s theatre program with:
11. Professional development for troupe directors
Supporting teachers by providing professional development, networking, resources, and recognition is core to the ITS parent organization, the Educational Theatre Association
Subscriptions to Dramatics magazine, full of articles and interviews on creative and technical skills for future theatre artists, and Teaching Theatre journal, which explores new ideas, teaching methods, and professional development
Access to EdTA’s 8,000 member online Theatre Education Community, a place to share knowledge, get advice, collaborate, and network
Member rates for events like the EdTA Annual Conference, the International Thespian Festival, and chapter conferences
Member-only pricing for more than 200 educational resources

17. “ ” So why does this matter?
Students get exposed to so much more at the competitions and festivals than I can possibly give them in 50 minute periods and/or extra-curricular productions. It also gives me, the teacher, the chance to connect with other theatre education professionals and workshop leaders, and as we begin to get more financing, the opportunity to pay for guest artists to come and extend my student's learning even more than I can.
– Philip Goodchild, Lennard High School, Troupe 7223
Junior Thespians has completely changed the drama program here. Once we chartered our troupe, the kids all “stepped it up” in every area of discipline, commitment and interest.
– Junior Thespian Festival Survey, 2015 ”
The enormous amount of positive public relations generated by this outstanding program is “priceless” to a building principal and also to the entire Lincoln Public School District.
– Jerry Wilkes, Principal, Lincoln Southwest High School

18. An ITS troupe honors your students’ achievements and brings them resources and opportunities beyond the scope of their school.
schooltheatre.org/ITS
Learn more about EdTA and ITS by watching this video