Fifty high schools received a $10,000 grant from NBC’s R.I.S.E. America Program. Through R.I.S.E. (Recognizing and Inspiring Student Expression) America, NBC has awarded these schools the grant to further theater programs.
NBC is facilitating the program in partnership with the Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF), a non-profit organization dedicated to shaping lives through theatre education. The grant is intended to cover the critical needs of theatre programs ranging from production expenses to technical equipment and master classes.
According to the President of the Educational Theatre Foundation, Julie Cohen, “The program was inspired by the network’s upcoming drama “Rise,” a story about a high school theatre department and its effects on a small town. The way these dedicated educators are impacting kids’ lives, against the odds and without the necessary resources, is heroic. Every school was deserving, and their stories reinforce the need to continue this momentum until every school in America has a well-funded theatre program.”
The show’s creator and executive producer, Jason Katims said, “It is a dream come true for me that ‘Rise’ will have a genuine impact on 50 high school drama programs throughout the country. It has never been clearer that the future of our country rests on the shoulders of the next generation of young leaders. I am excited about the notion that the R.I.S.E. America grants will help support, inspire and nurture creative young minds throughout the country, especially at a time when arts in education is under-valued and under-funded.
To qualify for the grant, high schools were required to have an existing theater program or a champion of theater arts in their teaching staff in cases where a school’s theater program was cut because of budget constraints.
Each school then submitted a video celebrating their theater program and a 500-word essay explaining why their school should be awarded the grant and how they will use the $10,000 should they win. They also submitted a letter of recommendation from a school principal or administrator endorsing the application.
