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Awards for Teachers and Organizations

AWARD NOMINATIONS ARE DUE MARCH 15. See nomination link below.

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OTEA awards for teachers and organizations are coordinated with the Honor Committee, chaired by the Treasurer, and handed out with other annual awards during the State Festival. Awards include:

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  • Rae Mona Reynolds Humanitarian Award: The award shall be presented to an individual or business who, through unselfish donation of time or monetary support, has furthered the activities of secondary school theatre in Oregon.

  • Rex Rabold Memorial Award: The award is presented to an individual who received a substantial portion of his or her education in Oregon and has achieved professional status in acting, writing, directing, or other aspects of theatre arts. The recipient of the award should have had a portion of his or her career in direct contact with students or teachers of secondary school theatre.

  • Michael Hibbard Memorial Award: The award will be presented to an individual who or organization that builds and sustains a sense of community through educational theatre.

  • Melba Day Sparks Henning (Oregon’s Hall of Fame Award): The award is given each year as a career achievement award to adults who have extraordinary service with Oregon Thespians or Oregon high school theatre.

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Each year, Oregon Thespians inducts a new member into the Oregon Theatre Educators’ Hall of Fame with the Melba Day Sparks Henning Award.


  • The MELBA DAY SPARKS HENNING AWARD is given each year as a career achievement award to adults who have extraordinary service with Oregon Thespians or Oregon high school theatre.

  • Troupe Directors are invited to nominate both Thespian and non-Thespian adults who have made exceptional contributions to the growth of theatre and theatre education in Oregon. It is Oregon’s Theatre Educator’s Hall of Fame. The award is given each year at the conclusion of the State Conference. Honorees are nominated by their peers, other adults familiar with the nominee, or by the nominee’s students and sent to a screening committee made up of past honorees. If there are no nominations the committee will seek out potential honorees.

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Oregon Thespians and Oregon Theatre Educators’ Association recognizes theatre educators with these awards. Individuals and organizations can be nominated at the same online site listed below.  Click here for more information on OTEA.

Scholarships for Teachers

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS ARE DUE MARCH 15 (postmarked by March 11). Funds apply to the fall conference noted below.

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Thanks to the Melba Day Sparks Henning Scholarship Fund funding is available for Troupe Directors to attend the annual Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) Theatre Education Conference.

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Look on the EdTA website for more information about this year's Theatre Education Conference.

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To apply for this funding, answer the following questions as completely as possible in outline or essay form and submit the additional material as requested with your complete contact information.

  • Please tell us about your current teaching assignment; subject(s) and location.

  • Number of years at this school.

  • Educational background.

  • Experience background.

  • What is the school’s philosophy toward training students in theatre?

  • What festivals, competitions or conferences has your school attended/participated in during the past three years?

  • What honors and awards has your drama department received in the past three years?

  • List the professional theatre organization affiliation of faculty and the school.

Please provide the following letters:

  • A statement from you as to how you will use this award and how you will share material you gain from the conference.

  • A letter from your principal regarding your theatre program, its impact on your community, and its role in the total curriculum of your school.


Mail these materials RECEIVED BY March 15 (postmark deadline MARCH 11) to:

Larry Daw

11605 S.W.95th

Tigard, OR 97223


Contact Larry Daw at lddaw@frontier.com for further information.

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