CTG Announces Chase Theatre Educators Fellows for 2011

Center Theatre Group (CTG) has selected four teachers for the 2011 Chase Theatre Educators Fellowship Program. Designed by CTG's Education and Community Partnerships department and supported by a grant from JP Morgan Chase & Co., the Chase Theatre Educators Fellowship Program awards fellowships annually to educators who implement theatre in their teaching practice.

"We are thrilled with the diversity of talent from this year's fellows and are excited to support their efforts in pioneering new avenues for theatre education," says CTG's Education and Community Partnerships Director Leslie K. Johnson. "As we celebrate CTG's 40th anniversary of theatre education programs, the variety of the 2011 Chase fellows exemplifies the breadth of this milestone."

The four teachers represent a broad range of classroom backgrounds. This year, two fellows teach multiple subjects in addition to theatre. Math teacher Helen A. Papadopoulos from Suzanne Middle School in the Walnut Valley Unified School District and English teacher Aileen Gendrano from Mendez Learning Center #1A in LAUSD will research ways to integrate theatre techniques into other subjects. In addition, two theatre teachers have been named fellows: Krista Carson Elhai from Claremont High School in the Claremont Unified School District and Susan Franklin Tanner from Sequoyah School in Pasadena and the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, run by the Los Angeles County Office of Education in partnership with and on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles.

The Chase Theatre Educators Fellowship helps the educators to build their capacity to teach and integrate theatre in their classrooms. The fellows, who have identified professional development opportunities that will also provide artistic revitalization, will receive up to $5000 each, plus a $100 Chase gift card for post-fellowship class materials.

"Chase is proud to support a program that provides educators with the opportunity to grow professionally while also positively impacting the students' classroom experiences. This is one of the only programs of its kind in the nation and is especially pertinent given the budget cuts that are being experienced in the Los Angeles school districts," said Antonio Manning, JP Morgan Chase & Co. Region Executive, West/Southwest Region, Global Philanthropy.

This year, CTG celebrates the 40th anniversary of its education programs for Los Angeles' youth. With one of the longest histories in theatre education, CTG focuses on making quality theatre experiences part of what it means to grow up and live in Los Angeles. Currently one of the most active theatre education programs in the country, the Education and Community Partnerships Department offers many innovate programs that challenge traditional definitions of "arts education."