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SETA A'YO °SCp00�� July 1, 2020 Santa Ana Unified School District Dear Santa Ana City Council, Jerry Almendarez Superintendent of Schools On behalf of Santa Ana Unified School District Arts Education, serving 45,000 students, I'm writing this letter to seek your consideration and support of the arts in our community to be included in the city's strategic plan currently in development. In 2018, the city adopted a resolution as an Equity in Arts Learning Champion as a sister resolution with the district. The city has recognized Youth Arts Month annually in March with the Boca De Oro Festival of Arts and Culture being the kick off. I worked with the Arts & Culture Commission in 2015 to provide a cross -walk of the SAUSD Arts Strategic Plan with the City Arts and Culture Plan which had a heavy emphasis on the youth in Santa Ana. Since that time, the arts in SAUSD have become a strong and direct link into the vibrant economic pipeline of the arts community in Santa Ana. We sit in the capital of the U.S. Creative Economy, and we are preparing our students to access it with careers and skills we are developing with the community as part of our "classroom." Beyond that, we have created much joyful student, family and community engagement through the arts. We are surrounded by incredible arts organizations and iconic institutions in our own backyard to which our students have access. We have connected our youth to our city in multiple ways because of our bridge to the arts community and the city with the school district. It began with the first arts round table and the series yielded an artist registry, an assets map, and a web site for artists in this community to be found. The growing registry includes our teachers and students, and has provided connection and opportunities. Since the Arts Roundtables began, we have seen a multiplier effect for the good of our community. This includes, but is not limited to: • Greater youth and family participation in city -produced events • Expansion of youth and family participation in arts events and activities • Activation of areas in the downtown with the arts as a catalyst to connect to other areas of learning • Greater visibility of Santa Ana through our high -profile collaborations • Establishment of Santa Ana as a hub for literary artists • Artists and arts organizations in the community supporting arts learning in the schools through master classes, teacher collaboration, arts experiences, field trips, and community projects • Hosting of Arts Commission meetings in the schools yielding greater participation • Collaboration in the development of youth arts leadership • Intergenerational collaborations in arts projects • Increase of youth participating in mural projects in the city • An arts and culture collaborative with over 50 arts organizations activated to support youth in the city SAUSD Arts recently refreshed its 5 year arts strategic plan which includes a pillar of family and community engagement and career pathways. This is a pillar to focus on our connection to our city through the arts. When developing the city's master plan, please consider the arts community in alignment with the district, and providing funding to continue to capitalize on the arts and cultural vibrancy, and the ability to attract and engage families to and in our city. We have thousands of our students engaged in arts learning, and continue to expand opportunities for such learning because of the connection to the city. Thank you for being Equity Champions for Arts Learning and supporting arts in education. Thank you for your consideration, Robyn MacNair Coordinator, Visual and Performing Arts End U 1601 East Chestnut Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92701-6322 (714) 558-5501 r 8 Rigo Rodriguez, Ph.D., President • Valerie Amezcua, Vice President Alfonso Alvarez, EdD., Clerk • John Palacio, Member • Carolyn Torres, Member