By Dr. Kristen Paglia, Chief Executive Officer
In honor of #ThrowBackThursday, I am sharing the phrase that has been giddily tossed around our office daily for the last three weeks: Hey, remember that time P.S. ARTS was invited to present our work at the White House?
On May 20th I, along with two P.S. ARTS students from Lucille Smith Elementary School in Lawndale, our Visual Arts Teaching Artist Benjamin Morales, and Lawndale Superintendent Ellen Dougherty, had the pleasure of attending the White House STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) Fair hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. This Fair, which also featured an art-focused talent show, celebrated the accomplishments of the federal Turnaround Arts initiative and announced the launch of Phase Two of the project. The Turnaround Arts initiative is an arts-based school reform effort designed to turnaround some of the lowest performing schools in the country. Due to the substantial success of the initiative, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) is expanding Turnaround Arts across the country, including ten California schools, making our state the largest affiliate. The California Arts Council and a cohort of dedicated arts and education foundations have committed resources to support Turnaround Arts’ efforts in California, which will be led by former chairperson of the CAC and powerful advocate for the arts Malissa Shriver.
P.S. ARTS has been providing visual arts education in one of the newly inaugurated Turnaround Arts: California schools, Avenal Elementary, for almost a decade through the generosity of Roll Global LLC. We are thrilled for the infusion of additional resources and support from the Turnaround Arts initiative that will, undoubtedly, increase the benefits of arts education for individual students, as well as improve the climate and elevate the performance of the school overall. The Turnaround Arts initiative provides a rare opportunity for arts specialists and service providers to work closely with classroom teachers, school administrators, parents, and other community stakeholders. We are always better together.
I think Ms. Shriver conveyed the beauty of this collective impact in her explanation of why Turnaround works:
Here is a recipe for success. Take a failing elementary school — invest time and treasure in professional development, help them develop a strategic plan, and assist them in maximizing their budget with expert technical assistance. Bring in the non-profit arts providers, credentialed specialists, teaching artists, universities, the local community, and parents. To top it all off, add in a famous artist — as a mentor, as an advocate, and to bring in the media… As John Dewey said, what the best and wisest person wants for his child, that must we want for all the children of the community. Anything less is unlovely, and unchecked, destroys our democracy. (Source)
Standing alongside our team of P.S. ARTS representatives, including our two fourth grade students ready to talk geometry with some very serious looking adults at the White House, I got a true sense of the power of this endeavor. During a surprise visit to the Fair, the President spoke to the importance of the arts in education (and, indeed, to the fabric of our society), and I was overwhelmed with pride and a sense of deep responsibility in being a partner in Turnaround Arts. The moment that cemented my commitment forever, though, came a few seconds later when the President of the United States put his arm around the 10-year-old young man in our care and, in acknowledgement of the creative work he and all the other children at the event had accomplished, said, “Don’t ever forget, you are an awesome kid!”
You can see it all in the look on his face. Somehow, someway — every kid needs to feel that feeling. This is what we strive for at P.S. ARTS.
