<div dir="ltr"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(36,36,36)">Near West Theatre is excited to share a paid opportunity for students ages 15–19: SOAR!, our theatre-based youth leadership initiative designed for teens who are ready to grow as creative leaders behind the scenes.</span></p><p style="margin:12pt 0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(36,36,36)">SOAR! is a hands-on creative summer apprenticeship where students work alongside professional directors, designers, and technicians from the Greater Cleveland area. Participants have the opportunity to explore areas like stage management, scenic and costume design, lighting and sound, production support, and artistic collaboration.</span></p><p style="margin:12pt 0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(36,36,36)">Applications are <b>now open</b> for SOAR! Summer 2026 and close on <u>March 13, 2026</u>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(36,36,36)">The application process is simple. Students only need to submit ONE of the following: a resume, short essay, or video. We also have a checklist resource with submission examples for you students to use as a resource as well as submission examples on our website.</span></p><p style="margin:12pt 0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(36,36,36)">We would be so grateful if you would consider sharing this opportunity with students, arts educators, counselors, or families who may be interested. </span></p><p style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(36,36,36)">Below are links to SOAR! Flyers to share with students<br>- <a href="https://www.nearwesttheatre.org/files/resources/colorsoarschoolflyer.pdf" title="https://www.nearwesttheatre.org/files/resources/colorsoarschoolflyer.pdf" target="_blank" style="color:blue">Full-color printable version</a><br>- <a href="https://www.nearwesttheatre.org/files/resources/bwsoarschoolflyer.pdf" title="https://www.nearwesttheatre.org/files/resources/bwsoarschoolflyer.pdf" target="_blank" style="color:blue">Black-and-white printable version</a><br>- <a href="https://www.nearwesttheatre.org/files/resources/digitalsoarschoolflyer.pdf" title="https://www.nearwesttheatre.org/files/resources/digitalsoarschoolflyer.pdf" target="_blank" style="color:blue">Digital file for email newsletters, websites, or social medi</a>a</span></p><p style="margin:12pt 0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(36,36,36)">Near West Theatre is committed to accessibility and inclusion, and we encourage students from all backgrounds and experience levels to apply. No prior leadership experience is required. If you have any questions or would like to connect about bringing SOAR! to your students, please don’t hesitate to reach out.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(36,36,36)"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:rgb(36,36,36)">You can find more information and apply to SOAR! <a href="https://www.nearwesttheatre.org/education/soar" title="https://www.nearwesttheatre.org/education/soar" target="_blank" style="color:blue">here</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:12pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><span style="color:black"> </span></p></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal"><b>B</b><b><span style="color:black">est Regards,</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">Michael Stein <u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">Production & Rentals Manager</span></b><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"><a href="http://www.nearwesttheatre.org/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">www.nearwesttheatre.org</a><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="color:rgb(112,48,160)"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>