Your Guide to Reaching Out

By: STO Brenna Kenney, Rouse High School, Troupe 7679

​   It is week 2 of the greatest month of the year, Theatre In Our Schools Month! We have loved celebrating this month with you all and we can’t wait to MARCH into this second week! As you know, last week we dived into advertising, the first part of the acronym A.R.T.S.! This week, we are reaching out! There are many different ways to reach out, in your school, community, and even state level!

Reaching out in your School
Advocating in your school is one of the most simple ways to begin your advocacy journey! You can put up signs around your school to advertise shows, support other organizations by going to sports games or showcases, advertising your shows and activities through announcements, posting on social media, and so much more! All of these ideas can bring awareness to your department and the benefits of theatre in your school!

Reaching out in your Community
Once we are recognized in our schools, the next step we can take is advocating in our communities. This doesn’t mean parading down the streets of your town in full costume and makeup, but asking to advertise in local businesses, write newspaper articles, invite influential people to your shows, or volunteer to do community service. These ideas only scratch the surface of how you can gain support from your community, and we can’t wait to see more of your ideas!

Reaching out on the State Level
This may sound daunting, we get it, but it is not as scary as it sounds! Advocating on the state level brings a greater awareness to all the hard work, time, and energy we put into this thing we love so much: theatre! Reaching out on the state level can look like keeping open lines of communication with elected officials, or even getting Theatre In Our Schools Month declared in your city/town, so we can gain a better stepping stone moving up to the state level. This is one of the most important steps on our journey to advocacy in our state and we would love for you all to join us!

  We can not wait to see how your troupe reaches out! Stay tuned for more advocacy tips and tricks throughout the month of March, and REACH OUT to us on social media!

Happy Theatre In Our Schools Month, 
Your 2020 & 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers