PROGRAM SUMMARY

The Visual and Performing Arts Focus Pathway at Boulder High School will provide students with rigorous and varied courses, opportunities to engage with the community, and the support to pursue their artistic passion and talents in and outside of the classroom. Through our program, we shall empower students to reach their fullest artistic potential and grow to love, respect, and participate in the visual and performing arts with an informed perspective.

Note: Being a member of the BAFP does not guarantee placement or preferential enrollment in requested art/music/theater classes. As with all elective courses, we cannot guarantee space availability in art courses.

GOALS

The overarching goal for the BAFP is to increase the quantity and quality of learning experiences that enable all students to meet and exceed high standards of achievement by creating, performing, and responding to the arts in the school culture, courses, and extracurricular opportunities. In the process of achieving this broad goal, the sub-goals are to:

• Provide students with an opportunity to expand and focus their arts education in order to achieve more learning.

• Increase the quality and expertise of course offerings in the visual & performing arts with assistance from counseling, arts teachers, school recruiters, and community businesses.

• Increase community involvement opportunities for art students to “apprentice” with local visual and performing artists.

• Create partnerships among BHS students and staff, arts and cultural organizations, higher education and other agencies in order to advance our visual arts education program.

• Increase professional development opportunities for arts Instructors.

• Increase visual and performing arts opportunities at the local, state and

• National levels appropriate for each student’s optimal development in the arts.

CREDITS

Students graduate with a Boulder Arts Focus endorsement on their diploma at several levels. (Students have approximately 70 elective credits available during their 4 years at BHS)

1. Arts Novice Focus = 20-30 credits

2. Arts Apprentice Focus = 35-50 credits

3. Arts Master Focus = 55+ credits

4. *Renaissance Focus = crossover courses in three or more distinct areas (Art, Music, Theater)

OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES:

Students will take part in visual and performing arts opportunities outside of the school day embedding the arts in their everyday lives by completing a minimum number of hours attending arts events, taking lessons, participating in performances or apprenticing in the arts community with a professional organization or individual artist. Each BAFP student will meet a minimum number of hours; which are as follows:

a. Freshman = 5+ out of school hours per semester

b. Sophomore = 10+ out of school hours per semester

c. Junior = 15+ out of school hours per semester

d. Senior = 20+ out of school hours per semester

*We encourage upperclassmen to mentor with an artist/arts organization in the community in a career they are interested in. BAFP will match students with an opportunity. Parents will be required to meet with the volunteer, approve the mentorship and supervise the “apprenticeship.” A teacher and the BAFP coordinator will assist in this opportunity.

STUDENT SELECTION: STUDENTS MAY APPLY IN ANY SEMESTER.

• Counselors and Teachers provide guidance toward courses and timelines to fit in basic requirements and arts credits for graduation. Catalog flow charts, handouts, and personal meetings will be utilized toward this end.

• Students will be able to take any combination of art classes that class sizes and scheduling permits.

• Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA in their BAFP focus area (choir, band, orchestra, visual, theater)

Additional information and application may be found on the Boulder Arts Focused Pathways Website.