Local Teacher Presented with Broadway League Apple Award

On Tuesday, December 5, 2017, local teacher Jason Ford was presented with the national 2017 League Educator Apple Award at Francis Parker School #23 by Rachel Reiner, Director of Audience Engagement at The Broadway League, based in NYC. Now in its fifteenth year, the award acknowledges the efforts of local teachers and advocates who support programs relating to Broadway or Touring Broadway shows, promoting further development of theatre education. Jason accepted the award amongst an audience of students and peers who cheered in support of his achievement.

"I am truly honored and humbled to be recognized," said Mr. Ford. "I am so grateful for the learning opportunities that have been given to my students. The students have increased their test scores, displayed more confidence, and have become passionate about the arts."

Ford is a 5th grade teacher at Francis Parker School in Rochester, New York. Since 2011, he has collaborated with the Rochester Broadway Theatre League (RBTL) to incorporate seven touring Broadway productions into his classroom. Over the course of the 2016-2017 school year, his partnership continued once again with WICKED. Students explored all the themes in the RBTL WICKED curriculum including the effects of bullying and how they could be examples of Up-stander Citizens in their school. The students promoted inclusiveness, gained confidence, explored how perspective shapes our view, found their voices, and discovered the true essence of friendship.

"The Rochester Broadway Theatre League is fortunate to collaborate with teachers like Jason, who love the work they do, and do the work they love," said Annette Ramos, Director of Community Engagement at the Rochester Broadway Theatre League. "Through Jason's ability to understand the creative needs of his students, the challenges they face overcoming poverty, and the lack of opportunities and limited resources they face, his unique teaching style creates an environment that is both welcoming and empowering for his students."

Mr. Ford was announced as the national award recipient earlier this fall, at which time the President of The Broadway League, Charlotte St. Martin stated, "Jason Ford truly epitomizes an educator with a commitment to enriching young minds with the power of the arts, and we couldn't be more excited to honor him with this award."

This is the fifth national award presented to a Rochester, NY recipient by The Broadway League, highlighting the importance and effectiveness of integrating arts and education in our community.

THE BROADWAY LEAGUE (Charlotte St. Martin, President), founded in 1930, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League's 700-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers who present in nearly 200 markets in North America. Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U.S. and Canada. The Broadway League has recently added a new category for International membership to collaborate with professionals from around the world who produce and present Broadway quality theatre. The Broadway League annually co-presents the Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards, one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry.

Key League programs and resources include: Kids' Night on Broadway, The Jimmys, Stars in the Alley, Internet Broadway Database (ibdb.com), Broadway.org, SpotlightonBroadway.com, Commercial Theater Institute (with Theatre Development Fund), as well as numerous conferences and forums for our members. Broadway Bridges, with the support of the New York City Department of Education, is aimed at giving every New York City public high school student the opportunity to see a Broadway show before graduation. TheatreAccessNYC (co-produced with TDF) is the one-stop website of accessible Broadway performances for theatregoers with disabilities. Broadway.org is the League's official on-line headquarters for Broadway in NYC, on tour, and internationally.

For more information visit BroadwayLeague.com, or follow @BroadwayLeague on Twitter and visit us at Facebook.com/BroadwayLeague.

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