The 2024 Stephen Schwartz Musical Theatre Teacher of the Year Award has been bestowed on Olivia Bellido of North Carolina's C.E. Jordan High School. Bellido, a theatre director and educator, will receive a $5,000 cash prize from The ASCAP Foundation and the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA).
Bellido leads Thespian Troupe 5478 at the Durham school, where she's expanded the theatre program with a student-led technical theatre program and more. Jordan High School serves a socio-economically diverse community, which inspired Bellido's commitment to make sure arts experiences are available to all of the school's students, either through direct participation or by providing low- or no-cost tickets to performances. She previously received an honorable mention from the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University's Excellence in Theatre Education Award, and has received multiple honors from North Carolina's DPAC Rising Star Awards.
“High school musical theatre teachers are unsung heroes (pun intended)," says Schwartz—the songwriter behind such musicals as Wicked, Pippin, and Godspell—in a statement. "They give their time, heart and soul, and often their own resources to inspire their students. And whether or not those students pursue the arts professionally, they emerge more confident, more empathetic, and more fully rounded. Olivia Bellido is a prime example of someone who has devoted years filled with talent, creativity, and plain hard work to helping her students thrive and grow, and I’m proud she is receiving an award that bears my name.”
“We are thrilled to honor Olivia Bellido as the 2024 Stephen Schwartz Musical Theatre Teacher of the Year,” adds EdTA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Katona. “Her dedication to her students and efforts to foster a supportive, inclusive environment showcase a commitment to theatre education that parallels our own—to use an education in theatre to deliver equitable, transformative learning experiences for all.”
The award was established in 2020. Theatre educators at the middle and high school levels are eligible for nomination by their administrator, students, peers, or others who know their work. Nominations are evaluated by a panel of EdTA teachers and leaders, industry professionals, and ASCAP representatives on the quality of work in their program, career accomplishments, and their impact outside the school.
Bellido will be recognized at EdTA's Theatre Education Conference, set to be held September 26-29 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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