|
|
|
|||||||||||||
Empire State Students Support Broadway Cares Kristie Fuller wishes she could open a BC/EFA branch in her town of Philadelphia, New York, which she describes as “just south of Canada.” The long-time BC/EFA supporter and high school drama teacher has done the next best thing; she’s initiated the BC/EFA campaign at the annual New York State Theatre Education conference. Each January, NYSTEA – the state’s organization of theatre teachers, students and advocates – brings together people from all over New York State, many of whom live near small-town BC/EFA grantees. And in the rural area where Kristie lives, AIDS is still a hushed issue. Small Town , Big Results So Fuller goes the extra step, having her Indian River Central School students gather HIV/AIDS facts and information to hand out at the conference, as well as encouraging them to write and perform their own skits and plays about HIV for the schools in the area where they live. And when she can, this busy single mom takes her students on the ten-hour bus ride to New York City for a week of shows, and has even made it to some of BC/EFA’s annual events. Fuller has NYSTEA’s full support for the campaign, which raised over $2,000 for BC/EFA this year. NYSTEA president John Fredriksen, who teaches theatre at Mamaroneck High School (just north of New York City), works closely with Fuller to ensure the campaign’s success at the conference. An Exciting Fundraising Concept This September, NYSTEA will have its first table at BC/EFA’s Annual Flea Market. For donations, John says the group has developed an original concept that aligns perfectly with NYSTEA’s mission. For a donation, NYSTEA will send postcards to shoppers’ current or former high school drama teachers anywhere in the country, to let those teachers know how much they are still appreciated by their respective students. NYSTEA teachers get as involved for BC/EFA as their students do, hosting fundraising shows and auctions, as Mark Solkoff does each year at the Queens-based Academy of American Studies. The NYSTEA conference has become a major part of BC/EFA’s school outreach program and we’re grateful to Kristie and to John, and to the entire NYSTEA board for getting involved. For more information, visit www.nystea.org
|
By Joe Norton