Georgia Lottery Offers Students Chance to Win Money for Theatre Programs

ArtsBridge and the Georgia Lottery are teaming up for the HOPE Jingle Contest and the public can vote to choose the winners. The Georgia Lottery is giving Georgia high schools the opportunity to win additional money for their theatre department this year through the HOPE Jingle Contest. To enter accredited Georgia High School Musical Theatre or Dramatic Arts Programs were invited to perform a creative version of the "HOPE Jingle" and submit a video of themselves performing it in their own unique way. Ten semi-finalists have been selected by a panel of judges and now the public is invited to choose the top five winners!

The ten semi-finalists in the HOPE Jingle Contest are:

• Calhoun High School (Calhoun, GA)
• Greenbrier High School (Evans, GA)
• Marietta High School (Marietta, GA)
• M.E. Stilwell School of the Arts (Jonesboro, GA)
• New Manchester High School (Douglasville, GA)
• Pickens High School (Jasper, GA)
• Pope High School (Marietta, GA)
• Savannah Christian Preparatory School (Savannah, GA)
• Southeast Whitfield High School (Dalton, GA)
• Tri-Cities High School (East Point, GA)

The following prizes will be awarded to the winning school's theatre department. The Grand Prize Winner will receive a $5,000 prize and they will also have their video featured at the 2019 Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards - Shuler Hensley Awards. The Second Place Winner will receive a $2,500 prize. The Third Place Winner will receive a $1,500 prize, and the Fourth and Fifth Place Winners will each receive a $1,000 prize.

"One of the most common issues we hear from high school musical theatre directors is that they don't have the funds or resources to develop the quality shows they are capable of producing," states Sarah Clay Lindvall, Director of Arts Education & Community Outreach at ArtsBridge. "We are eager to work with the Georgia Lottery to award additional funding to theatre programs so that they can continue to inspire students, create great works of art, and ultimately, thrive."

Voting is open through midnight October 7. Vote for your favorite video here: http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=5b9693d2e4b0564f7676dd48

Since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corp. has returned more than $19.8 billion to the state of Georgia for education. All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs, including Georgia's HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia's Pre-K Program. More than 1.8 million students have received HOPE, and more than 1.6 million 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program.

ArtsBridge Foundation is dedicated to providing quality arts education and community programs that engage, motivate, inspire, and elevate the next generation of artists and arts supporters. ArtsBridge provides arts education opportunities to students in grades K-12 through programs at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre including Field Trips, Master Classes, Family Programs, and the annual Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards - Shuler Hensley Awards. Since inception in 2007, ArtsBridge has served more than 350,000 students and educators from 58 Georgia counties, plus students from Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. ArtsBridge Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. To learn more about their programs and how you can get involved, visit artsbridgega.org.