In October of 2022, I was first introduced to the EdTA of Canada when I participated in their educational theatre conference. I remember stumbling across the registration link for the conference in the Theatre Alberta online newsletter and thinking it all seemed too good to be true…a huge variety of workshops, presented by seasoned professionals, available virtually for a super affordable cost!!?? How did I not know about this before now? And how many other educators out there don’t know about this awesome opportunity and organization? 
The two days of the conference were abundant with opportunities for exploring different perspectives, asking questions, developing new skills (or dusting off old ones!), connecting with other drama educators and theatre professionals from all over North America. One of my favorite workshop was play-filled, romp into the realm of ‘Voice Acting’, lead by Alberta Actor and Theatre Educator David Snider which may have involved creating a voice for a bottle of Catalina salad dressing….but what happens in the workshop, stays in the workshop…I came away with rekindled enthusiasm and ideas and activities I could easily put into action in my classroom the next day.
I think most educators you talk to will attest to the value and importance of ongoing professional learning. In my 18 years as a drama educator, I have found it not only important, but ESSENTIAL to cultivating a rich, vibrant and sustainable teaching practice. My pursuit of opportunities to continue growing, creating, and taking creative risks has taken me to workshops and intensives all over the province. But unfortunately many professional development opportunities aren’t accessible for many educators, especially educators in rural and remote settings, because of the cost, time and travel involved. Maybe you can relate? 
Many times I’ve lamented about some great workshop I’d love to go to…but it's too far away to be feasible. Even if you have amazing admin support like I do, the cost of travel, the coverage for the time away, and many other factors make accessing professional learning challenging. This challenge facing drama educators also impacts student learning and opportunities, especially in rural and remote settings. In just the little interaction I’ve had with the EdTA organization, I have been encouraged and inspired by their mission to support both professional development and student learning regardless of geographical location or proximity to urban centers where theatre experiences and expertise are often more readily available. This is an invaluable resource and it helps communicate to students in a wide range of settings that their voices are important…that their stories are worth sharing and their experiences matter. Whether it is through Thespian Troupes, professional learning opportunities or many of the other innovative and responsive ways EdTA seeks to support and inspire theatre programming, I know that I am very thankful to have resources and advocates like EdTA in my corner and on my team. I am looking forward to getting to know EdTA and the opportunities it has to offer and telling all my drama-teacher friends about it! 
​
Heidi Ambrose
​Drama Educator - Alberta