Frequently Asked Questions

Turnaround Arts California has a statewide network of partner schools, teaching artists, and arts organizations. We typically open the application process for new partner schools every three years. At that time, we will share recruitment priorities (e.g. certain regions of the state). In order to be eligible to join our program, schools must serve at least 75% of students qualifying for free or reduced price meals and commit to partnering with Turnaround Arts California for a minimum of four years.

As we bring on new partner schools, we are often looking for teaching artists and organizations local to the school community to join our network and support certain aspects of our programming at individual school sites. If you are interested in connecting with us to explore partnership opportunities, please fill out our contact form.

Joining the Turnaround Arts program is free to schools, aside from committing staff time and occasional substitute teacher coverage to allow teachers to participate in our programming. Upon acceptance into our program, districts must commit to providing 45 minutes of standalone arts instruction to each student weekly. Turnaround Arts provides training and partnerships to apply and integrate the arts throughout classrooms and across the school day.

When we enter into a partnership with schools, we do provide funding to support specific projects and initiatives at the school site as part of their strategic arts plans. We do not provide funding to schools or arts organizations outside of our partnership network.

We work with schools located in rural, urban, and suburban communities across California. To learn more about where our parter schools are located, visit our What We Do page.

We serve public elementary and middle schools (K-8) where at least 75% of students qualify for free or reduced price meals. We primarily provide direct services to educators within these schools.

We are always happy to meet artists interested in sharing their expertise with our partner school communities. Artists that we partner with must have experience working in public schools, ideally have a background working in underserved communities, and share our commitment to building equity for students through the arts. As a responsive partner, we work with schools to identify specific art forms or initiatives they are interested in pursuing and help match them with local artists to bring their vision to life. If you are interested in connecting with us to explore partnership opportunities, please fill out our contact form.

Due to the nature of our work and how we partner with public schools, we are typically unable to offer volunteer opportunities directly at our school sites. We may occasionally have needs for administrative support at our offices in Playa Vista or at our network retreats with teachers. If you are a company interested in setting up an employee volunteer project (e.g. a mural project at a school site), we would be happy to explore! To inquire, please contact Jaime at jaime@turnaroundartsca.org.