Impressive Designation Issued for Waukee CSD Theatre Education

Theatre award logoWaukee Community School District has been nationally recognized as a Premier Community for Theatre Education, a distinction awarded by the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA). The honor highlights districts that make theatre education accessible, meaningful, and inclusive for all students.

What It Takes to Earn the Distinction

“Being identified as a Premier Community for Theatre Education is about celebrating the intentional opportunities that Waukee CSD has created for our students to ensure they can access all the benefits of arts education,” Related Arts Curriculum Facilitator Chelsea Haaland says. “This distinction recognizes that excellent education in theatre is about more than a product or an outcome; it is about the process that we have designed with great intention, reflected in the courses we choose to offer, the production opportunities we make available to students, the staffing model to support our programming, and the way we allocate resources and facilities for arts education.”

To earn this distinction, Waukee submitted a comprehensive review of its theatre program, including lesson plans, copies of teaching licenses, annual theatre production calendars, classroom photos, and examples of the many ways students can engage in theatre during the school day and after school.

When Waukee CSD Theatre Opportunities Begin

Waukee CSD theatre: Waukee Middle School group photo of actors.Students who attend Waukee CSD are introduced to theatre beginning in sixth grade.

“It is particularly unique that we require all sixth- and seventh-grade students to engage in introductory Speech & Theatre Arts courses,” Haaland adds. “We have a robust catalog of elective offerings; students may take a Theatre Production course or a Video Production course in eighth grade or any of the seven theatre courses offered in high school, like Directing, Playwriting, Theatre History, and specialized technical theatre focus areas. Our curricular and extracurricular programming is a rich preparatory program for students.”

During a student’s time in the District, they could participate in 11 full-length theatre productions in addition to the Iowa High School Speech Association, the Iowa Thespians, and the Iowa High School Musical Theatre Awards program — to name a few extracurricular opportunities.

Why Theatre Education is Important

Waukee CSD theatre: Waukee High School Technical Theatre classWaukee High School theatre teacher and director Nathan Jorgensen, who also serves as the Iowa Thespians Chapter Director, knows firsthand the power of theatre in students’ lives.

“Theatre creates a more empathetic world. Whether you’re on stage, backstage, or in the audience, you’re learning to work with others to tell stories and consider different perspectives. Through theatre, students learn collaboration, problem-solving skills, and how to uplift their fellow humans.”

And the benefits don’t stop when the curtain falls. Research shows that students involved in theatre often show increased confidence, creativity, resilience, and academic engagement.

Waukee CSD Theatre By the Numbers

  • Only 10 school districts were recognized before the most recent EdTA announcement.
  • Waukee CSD is the 11th school district recognized by EdTA at the national level and only the 2nd in the Midwest.
  • In 2024-2025, about 47% of our secondary student body (6th-12th grade) participated in a theatre class and/or a theatre production.