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# Turnaround Arts California

Reimagine Learning

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## Posts

- [Real Stories](https://turnaroundartsca.org/real-stories/)
- [Turnaround Arts California Closing in August 2026](https://turnaroundartsca.org/closure/) - A statement from Turnaround Arts California's Board of Directors: Twelve years ago, Frank Gehry had a vision to inspire curiosity, creativity, and innovation in students. This led to the creation of Turnaround Arts California, an ambitious program to harness the power of the arts to benefit students and build thriving, creative school communities. We are
- [Life Lessons from Inside an Orchestra](https://turnaroundartsca.org/life-lessons-from-inside-an-orchestra/) - By Sandy Seufert, Program Director March is Arts Education Month so it seems like an ideal time to reflect on the impact of the arts when we make it together. According to Americans for the Arts, arts involvement not only helps to build individual identity, but group solidarity as well. Our children need these opportunities,
- [How a DJ Club Helped Students Find Their Beat](https://turnaroundartsca.org/how-a-dj-club-helped-students-find-their-beat/) - At our recent teacher retreat we had the special opportunity to hear from Principals who have been successfully leveraging the arts to build positive school cultures for their students and families. At Echo Valley Elementary in Salinas, a student DJ Club has created a ripple effect of confidence, belonging, and leadership across campus. Meet DJ
- [Frank Gehry + Ellen Ochoa Learning Center](https://turnaroundartsca.org/frank-gehry-ellen-ochoa-learning-center/) - Ellen Ochoa Learning Center is one of 36 schools that have worked with Turnaround Arts California to reimagine learning. In 2018, Co-founder and architect Frank Gehry, architects from Gehry Partners, and former California Former State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon visited the school and encouraged middle school students to envision the future of their community through
- [An Arts Oasis for Educators](https://turnaroundartsca.org/an-arts-oasis-for-educators/) - By Sandy Seufert, Program Director Teachers and principals from the Turnaround Arts California statewide network gathered this January for a two-day retreat at Inner-City Arts, an arts oasis in Downtown LA. With these being difficult times for our schools, students and families, educators made the intentional choice to step away from their campuses and come
- [Hoopa Valley Elementary Hosts Its First Acorn Festival](https://turnaroundartsca.org/hoopa-valley-elementary-hosts-its-first-acorn-festival/) - January 2017 Honoring the rich history of their culture and community, the Arts Leadership Team (ALT) at Hoopa Valley Elementary School (HVES) recently led students and teachers on a journey to produce their first annual Acorn Festival. What began as a simple sharing of the story of the acorn’s significance to the local Hupa, Karuk,
- [Students Create Original Poems with the Support of Poet Laureate Joy Harjo](https://turnaroundartsca.org/students-create-original-poems-with-the-support-of-poet-laureate-joy-harjo/) - Following her special virtual visit with Hoopa Valley Elementary in 2023, United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo worked with poet and retired Hoopa Valley teacher Stephanie Silvia to design a poetry contest inspired by Wallace Stevens’s poem “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird.” Following are the winning student poems and honorable mentions. First Place
- [North Star: A Tribute to Our Founder, Frank Gehry](https://turnaroundartsca.org/north-star-frank-gehry/) - By Malissa Shriver, Turnaround Arts California Co-founder and Board Chair Frank Gehry taught students at our nation’s most prestigious private universities, and at California’s most under resourced public schools, that their signatures were invaluable. He had them compare and contrast theirs with classmates, it was a simple but profound lesson in personal expression, in the
- [Finding Yourself Through Art: Frank Gehry’s Legacy in Schools](https://turnaroundartsca.org/finding-yourself-through-art-frank-gehrys-legacy-in-schools/) - More than a decade ago, Frank Gehry’s founding vision for Turnaround Arts California was simple: that every student should have access to the arts in school. Frank has long championed the belief that the arts are essential to human growth and expression--the arts empower us to express who we are, celebrate what makes each of
- [How Art is Making Learning Fun at Finney Elementary School](https://turnaroundartsca.org/how-art-is-making-learning-fun-at-finney-elementary-school/) - At Turnaround Arts: California, we believe that everyone in a school is a learner, not just the students. A key part of our work is engaging teachers as learners themselves. When we partner with schools, they commit to devoting valuable staff time for teachers to engage in professional development in the arts, allowing teachers to
- [Student-Led Mural Builds Belonging at Echo Valley Elementary](https://turnaroundartsca.org/student-led-mural-builds-belonging-at-echo-valley-elementary/) - By Chelsey Brunelle, Program Manager at Turnaround Arts: California A recent mural created by students at Echo Valley Elementary is a powerful example of what happens when we create the conditions for students to express themselves, work together, and see themselves as artists. This spring, Echo Valley Elementary in North Monterey County partnered with the
- [Reaching All Students With the Arts](https://turnaroundartsca.org/reaching-all-students-with-the-arts/) - Many of the students I work with at Zamboni Middle School have a learning disability that impacts their engagement in academics. They often feel like they are not the smartest kid in class or don’t have the right answer. The arts change that. I teach a unit on brain science in which students create a
- [Turnaround Arts CA + The LA River](https://turnaroundartsca.org/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
- [Six Superintendents Receive Inaugural Creative Leadership Award](https://turnaroundartsca.org/turnaround-arts-california-honors-six-superintendents-with-the-inaugural-creative-leadership-award/) - Turnaround Arts California was thrilled to honor six superintendents from partner school districts with a Creative Leadership award in recognition of their commitment to the arts as an essential tool for learning engagement and college and career readiness in the 21st century. The award reception took place on Wednesday, February 7th, at the Westin South
- [Welcoming two new schools to our statewide network!](https://turnaroundartsca.org/turnaround-arts-california-welcomes-two-new-schools-to-our-statewide-network/) - Del Mar Elementary in Santa Cruz and John D. Sloat Elementary in Sacramento are joining the Turnaround Arts: California network to invest deeply in the arts to build opportunities for their students and families. These two schools join 20 others working with Turnaround Arts: California in the year ahead. Turnaround Arts: California will work closely with
- [Inside Out Project reaches #TAcalifornia schools statewide](https://turnaroundartsca.org/inside-out-project-reaches-tacalifornia-schools-statewide/) - https://vimeo.com/301094053?fl=pl&fe=sh This fall, Turnaround Arts: California hosted Inside Out Project Group Actions to support our newest cohort of schools in making bold, visual statements about their commitment to leveraging the arts for educational equity. From our state’s southern border to our northern coast, first-year #TAcalifornia teams transformed campus walls into celebratory messages of creativity, community, and identity — bringing
- [Chad Smith + Zamboni Middle School](https://turnaroundartsca.org/chad-smith-zamboni-middle-school/) - https://vimeo.com/317092376?fl=pl&fe=sh Frank J. Zamboni Middle School in the Paramount Unified School District 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 Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers visited the Zamboni Wildcats in celebration of the school’s commitment to
- [Mark Ronson visits Sierra Prep](https://turnaroundartsca.org/mark-ronson-visits-sierra-prep/) - https://vimeo.com/329174671?fl=pl&fe=sh 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,
- [Daveed Diggs visits Vincent Academy](https://turnaroundartsca.org/daveed-diggs-visits-vincent-academy/) - https://vimeo.com/338322756?fl=pl&fe=sh 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.
- [“We Are All Connected” Mural Unveiling at Abbott Elementary](https://turnaroundartsca.org/we-are-all-connected-mural-unveiling-at-abbott-elementary/) - Turnaround Arts: California launched our Community Arts Project initiative in 2021 to support healing and community-building since schools have returned to in-person instruction. We’ve been pairing local artists with teachers, students, and families to design and implement unique art installations on their school campuses ever since This mural at Janie P. Abbott Elementary in Lynwood
- [Celebrating Indigenous Cultures Through the Arts: A special project at Hoopa Valley Elementary](https://turnaroundartsca.org/celebrating-indigenous-cultures-through-the-arts-a-special-project-at-hoopa-valley-elementary/) - Hoopa Valley Elementary is located in Humboldt County in Northern California. Students are 90% Indigenous Americans and members of the Hupa, Yurok, and Karuk tribes. The community has strong traditions rooted in Indigenous American cultures that they wanted to honor and celebrate through a public art project. Students worked with local artist and cultural bearer,
- [Watch: Community Arts Projects](https://turnaroundartsca.org/watch-community-arts-projects/) - Turnaround Arts: California launched our Community Arts Project initiative to support community-building and well-being as schools returned to in-person instruction following the pandemic. Partner schools, including teachers, students, and families, were paired with local artists and arts organizations to conceptualize and implement unique art installations on their campuses. https://vimeo.com/854726622?fl=pl&fe=vl We thank the partnering schools, artists,
- [Reimagining the Turnaround Arts California Brand](https://turnaroundartsca.org/reimagining-the-turnaround-arts-california-brand/) - At Turnaround Arts California, creativity, possibility, joy, and community have always been at the heart of our work in public schools. Yet, our visual identity and online presence hadn’t fully reflected the transformative impact of our work. As a small but growing nonprofit, we had long prioritized programming over branding, relying on the strength of
- [Preparing Students for Successful Futures](https://turnaroundartsca.org/preparing-students-for-successful-futures/) - I was in 6th grade when Turnaround Arts was first implemented at my school. I remember before that Fremont was a fairly rough school, the attendance wasn’t so great. But I found that through the arts, kids started showing up more. It was an incentive to want to do better in school. What Turnaround Arts
- [School Spotlight: Mary Chapa Academy](https://turnaroundartsca.org/school-spotlight-mary-chapa-academy/) - https://vimeo.com/288445563?fl=pl&fe=sh Mary Chapa Academy partnered with Turnaround Arts: California in 2014, and their journey of school change through the arts is truly remarkable. Thank you to Nabil Abdulkadir for capturing their story!
- [School Spotlight: Barton Elementary](https://turnaroundartsca.org/school-spotlight-barton-elementary/) - https://vimeo.com/291549657?fl=pl&fe=sh In 2014, Barton Elementary School in San Bernardino partnered with Turnaround Arts: California to use the arts as a tool for school change. This is their story.
- [Hope Builders: Barton Elementary](https://turnaroundartsca.org/hope-builders-barton-elementary/) - https://vimeo.com/427129921?fl=pl&fe=ti 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
- [Turnaround Arts: California welcomes four new schools to our statewide network!](https://turnaroundartsca.org/turnaround-arts-california-welcomes-four-new-schools-to-our-statewide-network/) - Following an in-depth search and selection process*, we are thrilled to welcome Finney Elementary in Chula Vista, Arts in Action Elementary and Middle Schools in Los Angeles, and Echo Valley Elementary in Salinas to our network of 24 schools, extending our reach to 1,600 additional students and teachers across California. As we begin a new school
- [A Place for All: Creating Classrooms Where Every Student Can Succeed](https://turnaroundartsca.org/a-place-for-all-creating-classrooms-where-every-student-can-succeed/) - https://vimeo.com/1061371927?fl=pl&fe=ti Turnaround Arts: California is often asked, “what does your work look like in action at a school?” This 30-second ad endeavors to answer that question. Our work can be challenging to describe in a simple way. That’s why we are tremendously grateful to NBCUniversal and Digital Bodega for bringing the story of 3rd-grade student Noah and his
- [Cultivating Joyful Schools Through the Arts](https://turnaroundartsca.org/cultivating-joyful-schools-through-the-arts/) - “The arts are a blessing to our student body and make school a much more joyous place to attend.” – Teacher, Zamboni Middle School, Paramount This summer we gathered with teachers from our schools across California to prepare for the coming school year and explore all the ways the arts can help us meet the
- [Annual Arts Leadership Team Lead Retreat](https://turnaroundartsca.org/annual-arts-leadership-team-lead-retreat/) - In March 2023 we were back in person bringing together teacher leaders from our 22 partner schools across California for hands-on arts learning, leadership development, and peer exchange at beautiful Loyola Marymount University. This retreat supports teachers to further develop in their roles as arts leaders at each of their schools. It provides an opportunity
- [Annual Principal Retreat: Leading for Change Through the Arts](https://turnaroundartsca.org/annual-principal-retreat-leading-for-change-through-the-arts/) - “It’s wonderful to be able to connect with like-minded colleagues who are champions for the arts.” -Attendee, 2024 Principal Retreat Principals from our 24 partner schools across California gathered for two days of community-building, leadership development, hands-on arts workshops, arts planning, and peer exchange. This year’s retreat focused on the intersection of shared leadership, equity,
- [Teacher Retreat: Fostering Collaboration to Build Arts-Centered and Equitable Schools](https://turnaroundartsca.org/teacher-retreat-fostering-collaboration-to-build-arts-centered-and-equitable-schools/) - “It is a great experience to share and reflect with fellow supporters of the arts. The professional development is inspiring, and you walk away with a wealth of strategies. It motivates us to be advocates for the arts.” – Attending Teacher Turnaround Arts: California’s annual Arts Leadership Team Lead Retreat brings teacher leaders from our
- [The arts are there to catch our kids: a conversation with MPUSD’s Jaqui Hope](https://turnaroundartsca.org/the-arts-are-there-to-catch-our-kids-a-conversation-with-mpusds-jaqui-hope/) - We recently spoke with Jaqui Hope, the Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator (VAPA) of the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD), to gain a more in-depth view of her work to improve K-12 education through the arts. As a VAPA Coordinator Ms. Hope creates, upgrades, and manages the visual and performing arts at all her school sites
- [Turnaround Arts is the HOW](https://turnaroundartsca.org/turnaround-arts-is-the-how/) - https://vimeo.com/292824430?fl=pl&fe=sh A conversation with Faith Kwon from Ravenswood City School District’s Costaño Elementary School in East Palo Alto, CA.
- [Teachers Reflect on the Impact of the Arts](https://turnaroundartsca.org/teachers-reflect-on-the-impact-of-the-arts/) - https://vimeo.com/1011477439?fl=pl&fe=sh At our 2024 Los Angeles Arts Leadership Team Retreat teachers from Southern California partner schools reflect on the impact the arts have on their students and the broader school community.
- [Family Art Night at Burbank Elementary!](https://turnaroundartsca.org/family-art-night-at-burbank-elementary/) - It was 20 minutes before the event. Inside the Multi-Purpose Room, a team of dedicated volunteers was busy covering tables and putting out art supplies while outside a line was forming down the sidewalk of families eager to get started. It was Burbank Elementary’s first-ever Family Art Night in collaboration with P.S. ARTS*, a nonprofit
- [Family Portrait Night at Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary!](https://turnaroundartsca.org/family-portrait-night-at-florence-griffith-joyner-elementary/) - On October 11th, the halls of Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary School were transformed into a vibrant, colorful art gallery. Every inch of wall space held a student-created self-portrait in the style of a famous artist. Mothers, fathers, siblings, and grandparents streamed through the front door in droves, stopping to admire the work and talk to their children
- [Willard Dance Team presents: Walls](https://turnaroundartsca.org/willard-dance-team-presents-walls/) - https://vimeo.com/334495685?fl=pl&fe=sh The Kennedy Center’s National Committee for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in partnership with the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts recently presented Satellite Summit: A Long Conversation, featuring a panel discussion on social justice, citizen artistry, and arts education and a special performance by the Willard Intermediate School Dance Team. Inspired by the
- [Celebrating the Creativity of Students Across the Nation: Turnaround Arts Student Showcase](https://turnaroundartsca.org/celebrating-the-creativity-of-students-across-the-nation-turnaround-arts-student-showcase/) - We were beaming with pride as students from three California partner schools took the stage at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ historic Eisenhower Theater on Sunday, April 7th, 2024. The National Turnaround Arts Student Showcase brought together 100 students from Turnaround Arts partner schools nationwide to celebrate their creativity and artistic achievements. Nearly

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## Teams

- [Staff](https://turnaroundartsca.org/teams/staff/)
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