During 2007-2008, UCLA Arts’ ArtsBridge worked in partnership with schools in Los Angeles, Compton, Lynwood, and Santa Monica School Districts. The program provided authentic sequential arts instruction, college and career preparation in the arts, arts education capacity building, forums for sharing knowledge, participatory program evaluation, and visual storytelling master classes.
Sequential Arts Instruction Anchors College Preparation
In 2007-2008, twelve 16-20 week sequential standards-aligned residencies in dance, art, design, and music anchored ArtsBridge activities. In addition, youth, teachers, and parents were invited to UCLA for guided arts field trips, academic shadowing was provided for secondary students, students experienced public performance and exhibitions at UCLA Arts, and the Lynwood High School cluster was invited to perform in the South Los Angeles Dance Conference at the Nate Holden Performing Art Center.
Arts Education Capacity Building
The program offered group facilitation to support capacity building at each partnership school site, and at the district level in special initiatives with Los Angeles, Compton, and Santa Monica School Districts. ArtsBridge also facilitated faculty-to-faculty discussions with art teachers in Compton Unified School District and Compton Center at El Camino College to explore ways to build local resources in arts education. ArtsBridge facilitated a serious group process at UCLA to access the viability of developing an interdisciplinary Visual and Performing Arts Education minor at UCLA. Finally, ArtsBridge sparked a new partnership with UCLA’s esteemed Teacher Education Program and the Los Angeles Unified School District to offer a Physical Education: Dance Emphasis Credential through UCLA’s Urban Intern Program starting in 2008-2009.
Evaluation
A rigorous participatory evaluation process was set into motion at ArtsBridge due to the efforts of Mark Hansen, GSEIS doctoral student and SRM Evaluator, with the generous support of UCLA’s Student Academic Preparation and Educational Partnerships (SAPEP) network. Logic modeling was developed with the program staff and community partners, and community focus groups were convened. Finally, new tools were developed to evaluate program outcomes, and the information will be used to better understand program impact, prepare UCLA students, and serve the community at large.
Sharing Knowledge
ArtsBridge partnered for a second year with UCLA’s Teacher Education Program (Center X, GSEIS) and the Graduate School of Public Affairs to present a symposium UCLA + URBAN SCHOOLS + COMMUNITIES: Igniting Core Synergies. The event highlighted community based research sharing best pedagogical practices. Participants included youth, arts educators, teachers, and social workers who enjoyed panels discussions, student performances, and exhibitions of student artwork. Malissa Feruzzi Shriver, Vice Chair of the California Arts Council, was a guest speaker at the convocation, and Associate Vice Chancellor Frank Gilliam was the event Keynote Speaker.
Click here for Professor Henri Lucas’ original symposium poster design
Click here for pdf of Symposium Program
ArtsBridge united with mentorship school Millikan Middle School (California School to Watch) to present a panel at the California League of Middle Schools Conference in Sacramento on March 1, 2008. The panel Creating Partnerships That Work shared processes and outcomes from our collaborative work with English Language Learning (ELL) and Directed Reading and Writing (DRW) classrooms at Millikan, and highlighted the impact of arts education on student literacy, learning satisfaction, and self efficacy. In addition, the panel shared best practices of partnership development, design, and assessment with middle school administrators and teachers from throughout California.
ArtsBridge collaborated with IDEAS at UCLA, the Center Theater Group (CTG), and Carver Middle School to sponsor a roundtable discussion and legislative theater performance focusing on undocumented students educational rights. Guest Speaker Maria Gomez, incoming UCLA Arts Architecture and Urban Design Student, informed participants of current legislative trends on the issue and the importance of using the arts as a tool for communication and public debate. The youth presented their original play developed with Lee Sherman (CTG Teaching Artist) and Thomas Turner (ArtsBridge Guiding Teacher) titled “Welcome to the Border: Now Go Home.”
Visual Storytelling
A visual storytelling master class series was offered by Iris Schneider (LA Times, ret.) for ArtsBridge Scholars, youth, and teachers from Jordan High School, West Adams Preparatory High School, Lynwood High School, and Bunche Middle School. Martin Cheeseborough, Director of the Media Aid Center hosted the classes at Jordan High School. Schneider, an accomplished photojournalist, explains that “photography has been used to encourage understanding, increase awareness, and inspire social change.” The intergenerational group focused on the core question: How can we better understand and improve our schools by letting people see our own lives, accomplishments, and struggles? The workshop series was made possible by the generous support of Canon Cameras. Project stills and videos are available on the RESOURCES page.
