Turnaround Arts: CA + The LA River

In partnership with Speaker Anthony Rendon, Frank Gehry, and Gehry Partners, Turnaround Arts: California is proud to play a role in the Los Angeles River revitalization*. In 2018, we began partnerships with five schools along the LA River helping school leadership strategically use the arts to build equity and access for students, transform the school’s culture and climate, and engage family and community members. These partnerships are ongoing and we have plans to continue expanding to new schools in the coming years.

Meet one of our partner schools in Cudahy, Ellen Ochoa Learning Center, in the video below. Renowned Architect and Turnaround Arts: CA Co-founder Frank Gehry, visited with his team of architects to help students envision the future of their community through the arts.

Our Partner Schools along the LA River:
Abbott Elementary – Lynwood
Ellen Ochoa Learning Center – Cudahy
Tweedy Elementary – South Gate
Whaley Middle School – Compton
Zamboni Middle School – Paramount

*The LA River revitalization project integrates design and infrastructure to bring people, water, and nature together across all 51 miles of the LA River. Learn more at riverla.org.

Hope Builders: Barton Elementary

A Turnaround Arts: California Partner School since 2014, Barton Elementary shows how the arts can transform a struggling school into a vibrant and engaging place for students to learn and explore their creativity. Since joining the Turnaround Arts program, Barton has seen their English Language Arts proficiency rate increase by 98%, suspension rates have decreased 11%, and chronic absenteeism has decreased by 15.5%.

Thank you to Fay-Hauser Price for directing this beautiful piece on Barton Elementary for KVCR’s Hope Builders series.
Hauslights, LLC at Hauslights@gmail.com

Ways of Looking: Exploring Measurement of School Transformation through the Arts and Social Emotional Learning

On Monday, October 28th Turnaround Arts: California convened thought leaders from the fields of education, the arts, psychology and social emotional learning to discuss ways of looking at the work to better understand key leverage points that increase and demonstrate impact. We welcome you to watch parts one and two of the event below!

Part 1:
Welcome, Context and Framing

Malissa Feruzzi Shriver, Co-founder and President, Turnaround Arts: California
Dr. Sarah Bainter Cunningham, Associate Provost for Research and Strategic Partnerships, Rhode Island School of Design
Dr. Akida Kissane Long, Principal Leadership Coach, Turnaround Arts: California
Panel Conversation
Sophie Fanelli (Modertator), President, Stuart Foundation
Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, President, Learning Policy Institute
Dr. Ivonne Chand O’Neal, Principal, MUSE Research
Dr. Steve Seidel, Director, Arts in Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Dr. Timothy Shriver, Co-founder, Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

Part 2: Panelists and Attendees Respond

Daveed Diggs visits Vincent Academy

Vincent Academy in Oakland, CA, launched the 2018-2019 school year as one of 27 Turnaround Arts: California partner schools using the arts to fuel school change efforts. Turnaround Artist Daveed Diggs visited Vincent Academy in celebration of the school’s commitment to leveraging the arts for educational equity.

Mark Ronson visits Sierra Prep

Since 2016, Sierra Preparatory Academy has partnered with Turnaround Arts: California to use the arts to fuel school change efforts. Turnaround Artist Mark Ronson visits the school annually in celebration of its commitment to leveraging the arts for educational equity, this time engaging with student STEAM projects, the cast of the school’s first-ever musical, and more!

Video: Sandra Selva
Music: www.bensound.com

In 90 years…

Happy 90th birthday, Frank Gehry!

Together with our network of 27 partner schools across the state, we strive to honor our co-founder’s pioneering spirit by leveraging the arts for educational equity. We are deeply grateful for Frank Gehry’s commitment to the next generation of imaginative learners and innovative leaders.

Introducing Tiffany Siart, Executive Director

Like many kids entering middle school, I felt awkward, lacked confidence, and was hungry to express myself.  Then, I met Bonnie Lavin, our school’s dance teacher, who invited us, the students, to choreograph together. Bonnie saw our potential, and exposure to dance led me to challenge myself academically and approach learning with excitement instead of fear.  Our first performance, inspired by the musical Hair, reverberates through me to this day.

Today, I am thrilled to take on this inspiring new challenge: to be the next Executive Director of Turnaround Arts: California. I join a community of artists and teachers, big thinkers committed to the fundamental and critical role that the arts play in a child’s education and development. I join a community committed to making arts education a reality for all students in California, every day. I join a community that believes in our children and their potential, and our sacred responsibility to expose them to opportunity and nurture their growth.

I want to thank Frank Gehry, Malissa Shriver, Terry Lenihan, and the entire Board of Directors of Turnaround Arts: California for this opportunity. I see I am in excellent company with Barbara Palley, Heather Heslup, and Jacob Campbell of the Turnaround Arts: California team. I cannot wait to meet all the teachers, principals, coaches, superintendents, partners, and collaborators who make this expansive mission thrive and grow every day.

Thank you,
Tiffany Siart
Executive Director

“Let the sun shine in,
Open up your heart and let it shine on in.”
Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine in, from the musical Hair

10 more schools join the #TAcalifornia family!

Have you heard?!

We added 10 more elementary and middle schools to the #TAcalifornia family. Scroll down to learn about each one of them!

Meet our 2018 Getty Intern: Alexis Martin

Tell us about yourself

I am a public school kid from Long Beach, CA, double-majoring in Public Health and Dance. I am currently a Junior attending Tulane University through the Posse Foundation, which provided me with a leadership and merit-based full-tuition scholarship.

This summer I was lucky enough to be the Program Research Intern for Turnaround Arts: California thanks to the Getty Foundation Multicultural Undergraduate Internship program. Over the past 10 weeks, I’ve been collaborating with the program team to research local arts and cultural resources and create asset-maps for the different regions across California where Turnaround Arts: California schools are located.

Why did you choose to intern at Turnaround Arts: California?

I chose to intern with Turnaround Arts: California because I found unique parallels between public health and their work in arts integration within elementary and middle schools.

Public health programs seek to address a health issue by suggesting an intervention that is developed in collaboration with members of the program’s community. Similarly, Turnaround Arts: California seeks to empower historically marginalized and inadequately resourced elementary and middle schools by strategically leveraging the arts towards school-defined goals.

In fact, research shows that access to the arts improve health outcomes, and learning about arts education through this internship was a way I hoped to explore that connection.  

What do you like most about working with Turnaround Arts: California?

The amount of faith the staff had in me! Yes, I had my individual work, but I was also invited from the very beginning to learn about the program, participate in conversations, and help out wherever I could. The staff was always open to answer any questions I had or to listen to my thoughts. They were eager to support and get to know me. It was empowering to be included like that.

What’s the most exciting thing you worked on?

Researching arts and cultural community assets was both exciting and terrifying. Exciting because I had a lot of flexibility with my own work — from searching for local organizations to deciding how to record and present my data. Plus, I got to learn a lot about some incredible arts communities and local arts education work being done across California. But, terrifying because the fear of failure or feelings of not having done enough can be daunting.

What was your most memorable experience?

During our annual staff retreat, we had an intentional conversation about equity and anti-racism. I felt proud of being a part of a team who sees value in dialogue and understands how race and class impact ourselves as individuals, the work we’re doing, and the people we’re serving. Getting to participate in the first of many discussions about that was very special to me, and I’m so excited for them to continue that work.

Describe your internship experience in three words

Manage your expectations.
(An important reminder for those of us who tend to be overambitious when setting them.)

Anything else?

Shout out to Barbara, Angela, Heather, and Jacob! They are all incredible, and I will miss working with all of them. And, best of luck to our new Turnaround Arts: California schools — I’m so excited for you all to join the family and continue growing through the arts!