Hit Broadway Musical 'Hamilton' Inspires Letter Writing Competition for Utah High School Students
Many of us Utahns felt the disappointment when tickets to Hamilton sold out in a few hours last week, but there is still a chance for a high school student in our community to attend. The State of Utah, in an incredible public/private partnership, is sponsoring students from every corner of the state to attend a performance of Hamilton through The New Nation Project letter writing competition.
The competition gives high school students (grades 9-12) an opportunity to write to their legislator about an issue they care about and propose a solution. Every high school student that writes a qualifying letter will be entered into a random drawing for a ticket to the hit Broadway musical Hamilton. If their letter is selected, then they will be invited to attend Hamilton (for free) with an elected official on April 19 or April 21, 2018.
Alexander Hamilton is connected to this contest in more ways that one. He is not only the focus of the hip-hop themed Broadway musical, but is known for writing non-stop. He wrote speeches, legal arguments, editorials, and letters that helped fuel the American Revolution and shaped the future of a young country. While controversial even today, his ideas were impactful because he wrote them down and shared them widely.
The goal of the competition is to encourage students to learn about who represents them in public office, to become engaged in the civic process, and to think about what they are passionate about and can improve through the civic process. It’s also to acknowledge the power of the written word as one of the most persuasive tools to impact change. “Hamilton is a musical that, through its storytelling and accessible music and script, is both educational and entertaining. One of our legislators experienced that and wanted to share that opportunity with school children in the State of Utah.” notes Laurel Adler, Grants Manager at Utah Division of Arts and Museums.
To enter, students must select an elected official that represents them (a Senator or Representative, etc.), and select a subject they care about such as Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement, Diversity and Inclusion, Economy & Jobs, Education, Environmental Issues, Health Care, Bullying/Harassment, LGBTQ + Issues, Technology/Social Media/Internet, Rural Issues, etc. Finally, write a letter using the online form addressing the issue and propose a solution.
Get out there and start writing! The deadline to enter is Feb. 20, 2018 at 9am. For more information and to submit a letter, visit newnationproject.utah.gov.