VAPA is happy to continue supporting arts integration residencies at both Ibarra and Sequoia Elementary schools in 2020-21. This work is an outgrowth of the collaboration between VAPA and professional arts organizations in our community. These partnerships between the San Diego Unified and Guitars in the Classroom and Arts for Learning, San Diego have their roots in SDUSD’s pioneering Title I initiative, Learning Through the Arts (LTA), launched in 2015.

Arts integration is a research based strategy that supports the achievement of Title I goals targeting both academic achievement and school climate, as well as student and parent engagement. In an arts-integrated lesson, students learn both arts and non-arts content simultaneously. LTA’s approach to arts integration was unique in SDUSD in that the curriculum was co-created and co-taught in collaboration between professional teaching artists and classroom teachers. One of the goals of this collaboration was the pedagogical growth of the artists reciprocated by the arts content growth of the classroom teachers.

VAPA continues to innovate new approaches to meeting Title I goals through the arts. As a vehicle for both accessing and expressing learning in any content, the arts are a universal language that support multi-literacy and engage students in new, personal and creative ways.