NEWS RELEASE: San Diego Unified VAPA Foundation Announces 2018 Grant Recipients

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NEWS RELEASE
MARCH 8, 2018


San Diego Unified VAPA Foundation Announces 2018 Grant Recipients
14 San Diego Unified School District teachers receive funds for enhancing arts in the classroom


SAN DIEGO (March 8, 2018) - Fourteen teachers from the San Diego Unified School District have been awarded a combined $11,000 in grants to pursue artistic projects with their students – in TK through high school - thanks to the new non-profit VAPA Foundation.

The newly established Foundation awarded teacher grants ranging from $500 to $2,500 during this inaugural cycle. The goal of the grant program is to help teachers pursue innovative and creative artistic projects for students. These VAPA Foundation grants cover professional development, project costs, activities and materials not funded by a school's operating budget.

For example, San Diego School for Creative and Performing Arts dance teacher Annette Barcelona will use her grant to attend the American Ballet Theatre's Teacher training intensive in Orange County. This prestigious ballet training school generally holds intensives in New York. Annette will use her certification from this intensive to train current and future students at her school.

Debra Thigpen and Dottie Dunham, 5th grade teachers at Jefferson Elementary, will accompany students to the Mingei International Museum. The exhibit entitled "Kantha Recycled and Embroidered Art of Bengal" perfectly complements their study of how art reflects culture and humanity. Students will consider how cultures use the arts to create commentary on global issues and will use grant-funded materials to create visual displays that will convey their ideas to the community during an exhibition.

Visual Arts teacher Jeremy Merrill will use his grant to purchase a high lumens digital projector that will enable students to create murals on the Hoover High campus and in the community. (See attached for a complete list of grantees.)

VAPA Foundation President Larry Baza has devoted his life to the arts as a gallery owner, former chair of the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, and current Vice Chair of the California Arts Council. He is excited about the opportunity to help students learn about and engage with the arts. "The VAPA Foundation Board is proud to announce this first round of grants that will support hands-on arts experiences for students in the classroom, made possible by the purchase of art making equipment and support for off campus field trips to live professional performances in community arts spaces. We hope that these grants will encourage others to join with us by making a contribution to the VAPA Foundation to support more grants to support our teachers for professional development, new arts projects, and materials not typically included in a school's budget. Stay tuned for exciting opportunities to support the important work of growing the arts education of our students."

All SDUSD teachers were eligible to apply for these funds to enhance learning in any arts discipline: dance, music, theater or visual arts. This year's grantees all work in schools that serve a lower income demographic. Over 2,000 students will benefit from these grants this year; many of the funded projects and activities will continue to benefit students for years to come.

In addition to continuing an annual grant program, the VAPA Foundation will act as resource for teachers by creating connections and collaborations with community arts organizations, and developing resources to help SDUSD teachers achieve quality, access and equity in arts education.


The VAPA Foundation believes that all students benefit from an education rich in the arts – from field trips to museums and theaters, to bringing professional artists into the classroom, to training teachers in their craft or best practices for arts integration. The Foundation is committed to raising funds via grants, events and individual donations to continue grants for teachers in 2018/19 and beyond. For more information about the VAPA Foundation view the videos below, visit vapafoundation.org or call 619-256-2700.

https://www.sandiegounified.org/newscenter/videos/san-diego-unified-vapa-foundation-announces-2018-grant-recipients

https://www.sandiegounified.org/newscenter/videos/san-diego-unified-celebrates-music-our-schools-month-announcement-music-instruction-100-its

2018 VAPA Foundation Grantees

$2,500 Grants
Teacher

School

Project/Activity

Annette Barcelona

San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts

American Ballet Theatre training in Orange County for ballet certification

Sara Dickman

Creative Performing and Media Arts

San Diego Dance Theatre Artist in Residency and culminating student performance


$500 Grants
Teacher

School

Project/Activity

Caitlin Black

Roosevelt Middle

Buses to Cabrillo Monument//Printing blocks for associated project

Caitlin Black

East Village High

Mural making supplies

Ruth Godfrey

Ibarra Elementary

Tickets/Transportation to Classics 4 Kids musical performance

Sarah Hillard

Millennial Tech Middle

Kilns, microwave and glass materials for in depth study of "Art Glass: The Science Behind the Beauty"

Don Masse

Zamorano Fine Arts Academy

3D printer to bring student designs to life

Jeremy Merrill

Hoover High

High lumens projector for mural making on campus and in the community

Marisa Ramirez

Johnson Elementary

Field trip to Junior Theatre production of "Akeelah and the Bee"

Stefanie Retin

Miller Elementary

Tickets/Transportation to Classics4Kids Musical Performance

Paula Richardson

Wilson Middle School

Field trip to "Stomp" at Balboa Theater

Val Simons

Euclid Elementary

Karaoke machine and ukulele wall mounts

Derek Suzuki

Ericson Elementary

Purchase of 23 soprano ukuleles

Debra Thigpen

Jefferson Elementary

Admission to Mingei International and supplies for associated project on impact of arts on humanity



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Interviews with grantees are available upon request
Media Inquiries: Isabella McNeil, San Diego Unified School District, 619-341-2343 Imcneil@Sandi.net<mailto:Imcneil@Sandi.net>