How EdTA invested in the individual and collective growth and excellence of theatre educators.
Educator Impact
With an updated mission centered on educators, EdTA’s strategic plan deepens our commitment to teacher growth and excellence. We lived out this commitment in 2023 by creating standards-based curriculum and offering robust professional development opportunities for members and the field.
EdTA’s Learning Center is our one-stop shop for theatre education teaching resources. In 2023, 6,466 users — including two-thirds of EdTA adult members — logged in to the Learning Center to access the growing library of resources, which include 496 lesson plans, 48 Click to Teach interactive units, 32 model assessments, and 98 on-demand webinars. Theatre educators earned 14,916 “seat hours” toward their professional development requirements on the Learning Center in 2023.
To support EdTA’s goal of meeting current teacher needs, 100 lesson plans were embedded with social emotional learning — a focus in many schools nationwide.
To complement the Learning Center, EdTA also publishes tips and advice on our theatre education blog. These articles and Learning Center resources are featured in the biweekly Teaching Theatre newsletter emailed to all members.
EdTA continued its work on a five-year, $8.5 million U.S. Department of Education grant project in partnership with the National Art Education Association, National Association for Music Education, National Dance Education Organization, and New York City Public Schools. Connected Arts Networks (CAN) builds professional learning communities (PLCs) supported with professional development on teacher practice, leadership, and agency across three areas: equity, diversity, and inclusion; social emotional learning; and educator leadership.
CAN utilizes a “train the trainer” approach: In 2023, the original cohort of 20 educators continued their training so they could lead their own PLCs. By year end, 105 new educators joined the program to participate in those new PLCs.
The impact on the CAN teachers is profound. “At our first meeting of the new cohort, the teachers expressed over and over their joy for being part of the project,” said EdTA education director Cory Wilkerson. “One even logged in from a hospital bed. It’s that important to them.”
In all, EdTA received $161,250 in grant funding in 2023 to support its work on curriculum and teacher practice.
EdTA also supported educators through in-person professional development events in 2023. Our chapters held 20 PD events attended by 1,547 educators. And in September, our national Theatre Education Conference brought together 156 teachers in St. Pete Beach, Fla., for a weekend packed with workshops, keynotes, exhibits, and networking.
Themed “The Power of YOU,” the program focused on empowering educators to be agents of change in an increasingly difficult times for educators. “My bucket was filled to overflowing with great presentations, and colleagues who came together from across the nation to support, encourage, and share our stories,” noted one attendee.
DEIA Progress
- EdTA received a $50,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant to reimagine the arts standards in a US public-education landscape where 96% of arts educators are white, teaching a student population that’s 54% non-white. The 18-month project will result in discipline-specific strategies for culturally responsive teaching and guidelines for revising the arts standards.
- The Connected Arts Networks grant project focused on SEL and DEIA continued into its second year, with 125 total teachers participating by year end.
- The 2023 Theatre Education Conference featured 41% presenters of color and a keynote on culturally responsive teaching.
- EdTA’s education steering committee, which guides workshop selection and curriculum development, has over a third BIPOC representation.
- For teacher members’ professional development in culturally responsive teaching, EdTA now offers more than 25 on-demand webinars in our Learning Center.
2023 Impact
Adult members
Learning Center Users
Webinar and Course Registrations
Seat Hours Earned
