With support from the California Arts Council’s Arts Education-Artists in Schools program, the VAPA Foundation is partnering with the Center for World Music to bring culturally relevant music residencies to 4th graders at seven schools in SDUSD. Each 4th grade class receives 12 visits from a teaching artist, in which students will sing, play instruments, use music vocabulary, collaborate with their peers, and analyze auditory examples as they explore the geography, history, culture, language, and traditions of Mexico, Cuba and/or Brazil.

The seven schools were selected based on their status as red or orange zip codes on the distressed community index as well as their high percentages of Hispanic and Latino populations:

• Balboa Elementary School

• Central Elementary School

• Chavez Elementary School

• Chollas/Mead Elementary School

• Joyner Elementary School

• Kimbrough Elementary School

• Rodriguez Elementary School

Classes began on February 6 and continue throughout the semester. The grant from the California Arts Council also covers residencies at the same schools next year with a new group of 4th graders.

For more information about the VAPA Foundation, please visit: https://vapafoundation.org/.