Our Commitment

Each High School in the Valley has the opportunity to participate in our Town Hall Scholar program by contacting [email protected] to receive a Town Hall scholarship program packet.

All participating high schools may then select 2 Seniors of high merit per lecture (six lectures per year).

Each Town Hall Scholar will receive

• An opportunity to be selected for a $500 college scholarship.
• A  letter inviting them to a Town Hall Lecture
• A  lecture brochure
• A signed Honor Certificate
• Free entrance to the lecture (for the student and one teacher or parent)
• A pre-lecture, student exclusive, question & answer session with the speaker
• Honored seating (students only) with other Town Hall Scholars toward the front of the theater and an introduction to the attendees as representatives of their respective schools

A representative from the school needs to communicate with the education committee at [email protected] prior to the lecture. (If you wish to join the program for the first time, please contact us as soon as possible!) If you are already participating in the program, please email us with the names of your Town Hall scholars at least one week prior to the lecture.

• The school representative is asked to make sure Town Hall Scholars have their letters and certificates prior to the lecture.
• Town Hall Scholars should be encouraged to do google research or read books or articles authored by the lecturers in advance so that they may have questions ready to ask during the Q and A sessions prior to and after each lecture.
• Please remind students of theater etiquette: stay in their seats, refrain from talking to their neighbors, silence and put away cell phones once the lecture has started.

• Town Hall Scholars should arrive at Saroyan by 9:30am, ideally wearing business casual clothing.
• Town Hall Scholars should enter through the M street doors and proceed directly to the Town Hall Scholar check-in table to receive their name tag. Students who do not check in will NOT have their names placed in the drawing for the $500 scholarship.
• At 9:45 Town Hall Scholars will be escorted to the Town Hall Scholar question and answer session with the Speaker.
• Town Hall Scholars will have the opportunity to ask the speaker questions.
• After the question & answer session, Town Hall Scholars will proceed to the white seats on the right side of the theater floor.

• Communicate with the education committee at [email protected] prior to the lecture to secure available seats. While our goal is to serve all of the Valley’s students, at each lecture we are limited by the 600 person capacity of the “student section” in the Upper Balcony. Please email us as soon as possible, and no later than two weeks prior to the lecture.
• Please note that a request for student tickets is not a guarantee of seats. A member of our education committee will be in touch to confirm your request as soon as possible.

• Please complete the Class Attendance Form before arriving at the Town Hall lecture. We ask for a 1:10 ratio of teacher to students.
• Please sit in the upper balcony with your class as a unit.
• Please remind students of theater etiquette: stay in their seats, refrain from talking to their neighbors,  silence and put away cell phones once the lecture has started.

• Bring COMPLETED paperwork,  “Class Attendance Form”. Submit to greeters at INYO street entrance.
• Enter Saroyan Theater from the INYO street (North) entrances and proceed to the upper balcony.
• Buses should park in Lot 1, which is the only lot owned by the Convention Center.
• A map of the Convention Center and parking areas is attached with the Class Attendance Form.

• College Students with valid Student ID cards are admitted for free to our lectures as long as seat availability permits. Occasionally, due to overwhelming ticket sales, we may have to limit individual student seats if we are nearing lecture capacity.
• To secure admission, arrive early. Approach the Theater Box Office and show your student ID to receive a complimentary ticket. 
• Please sit in the Upper Balcony as other seats are reserved for paying guests.