A r t s Outreach

San Luis Obispo County enjoys many avenues of arts outreach for our schools. However, these organizations depend upon the support of residents to thrive and grow. If you are in South County, the Clark Center Arts in Education Outreach Program provides programming for the students of the largest school district in our county, Lucia Mar Unified. The Poly Arts for Youth (PAYF) program is Cal Poly Arts’ education enrichment program for students of all ages throughout the county. Partnerships exist between Studios on the Park in Paso Robles, the Paso Robles Youth Arts Center, Wine County Theatre, Opera San Luis Obispo, and Symphony of the Vines, which provide arts programs for youth. These are just a few examples of arts non-profits that stoke the embers of San Luis Obispo County’s creative spirit in our schools.

According to a recent Arts and Economic

Prosperity Survey, San Luis Obispo County arts and arts-related activities enhance our local economy with approximately 27 million in funding and expenditures. Exploring the arts is one of the most popular Career & Technical Education (CTE) pathways selected by San Luis Obispo County students. The Central Coast Economic Forecast refers to the arts’ positive impact on our local economy. Our county is growing in cultural and artistic vibrancy because of the dedicated individuals that make the central coast their home. Creative outreach is the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education Arts Partnership with arts organizations has afforded every school in the county opportunities. This outreach intends to provide another arts-based partnership supporting the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced the 2001 “No Child Left Behind Act.” Fundamentally, the intent of this iteration, first signed into law under the 1965 Johnson Administration, remains the same: to provide supplemental funds and programs for low-income students and to enable state and local educational agencies to improve access and quality of elementary and

secondary education.

Students who participate in the performing arts build a sense of community, communication skills, collaboration skills, public speaking experience, empathy, and compassion. In many studies, researchers link involvement in the arts to better child development and overall higher student achievement. Providing students access to the arts results in higher academic achievement, a medium for self-expression, improved confidence and self-presentation skills, problem-solving and perseverance skills, empathy, and compassion. Today more than ever, we need to foster positive, peaceful avenues of self-expression in our schools.

My top reasons for supporting the arts in our community include: the arts unify communities, the arts improve well-being, the arts strengthen local economies, the arts encourage tourism, the arts improve academic achievement, the arts spark creativity, and the arts provide joy. It is an honor to serve as your county superintendent. I hope this article will spark discussion among all educational stakeholders about the power of becoming involved in arts outreach as a volunteer, patron, or participant.