Many athletes gain recognition for their achievements, but now the International Thespian Society will help students in the theatre program at get recognition for their accomplishments, too.

“We decided that this would be a good year for us to join this organization,” Technical Theatre Director John Davenport said. “We did some research and found that there are great scholarship, and audition opportunities for our students.”

The International Thespian Society is the educational theatre association’s honorary student organization. Thespian troupes at high schools across the nation help raise the profile of the theatre program at these high schools.

This international society recognizes awards, encourages achievement, celebrates hard work, provides student leadership opportunities, gives exceptional promotional opportunities, provides fundraising and professional development for troupe leaders according to the ITS website.

“I think we should have a thespian troupe at our school because at my old school we had one and it helped students track their theatrical achievements,” senior Elizabeth Jowers said. “It will also help our school’s theatre program gain recognition.

Thespian troupes are all students grades 9-12, and Junior thespian troupes include students in grades 6-8. There are more than 4,000 high schools and middle schools that have thespian troupes.

ITS was founded in 1929, and since then has inducted more than two million thespians. It keeps growing, and has more than 36,000 students each year.

“We also hope that this program will give our students the chance to be recognized nationally for their work,” Davenport said.