NBC and Educational Theatre Foundation Awarding $10,000 Grants to 50 US High School Theatre Programs

American schools are full of incredibly talented and hardworking students lead by dedicated faculty. These students and teachers often don’t get the recognition and support that they deserve.  There are so many arts programs that suffer from loss of funding.

NBC is bringing the high school theatre arts to small screens across the nation with their new drama Rise. Produced Jason Katims and Jeffrey Seller, Rise  is new drama about a dedicated and passionate teacher who takes over the school's lackluster theater department, It is inspired by a true story. The cast includes Josh Radnor, Rosie Perez, Auli''i Cravalho, Damon J. Gillespie, Marley Shelton, Rarmian Newton, Ted Sutherland, Amy Forsyth, Casey Johnson, Taylor Richardson, Joseph Tippett and Shirley Rumierk.

In addition to the new show, NBC and the Educational Theatre Foundation are partnering together to give $10,000 grants to 50 American high schools with the R.I.S.E. (Recognizing and Inspiring Student Expression) Grant.

The Educational Theatre Foundation is the fundraising effort of the Educational Theatre Association.  The ETA has approximately 100,000 student and professional members. They operate the International thespians Society. The Educational Theatre Foundation provides financial support to enhance excellence in theatre education.

Applications for a grant are currently being accepted. The deadline is February 6, 2018. Eligible schools can Apply for the R.I.S.E. America grant by sharing how their theatre program could benefit from receiving $10,000. These applications will be judged on a combination of factors.  These factors include compelling stories, financial need, and the potential impact the grant would have on the theatre program.

For more information and to apply for the grant, click here.

All high schools throughout the are eligible to apply for the grant. Winning schools will be announced mid-March. For questions, please contact grants@edtf.org.