ORANGE COUNTY CHILDREN’S THERAPEUTIC ARTS CENTER 13A

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Exhibit A scores; some of our High school dropout students have re -enrolled in classes towards earning their diplomas, and very talented older youth have been hired as arts teachers in the community! The Center has had a tremendous impact on Santa Ana youths and their families. It is a catalyst for change and provides students and families access to new opportunities, and community leadership! As stated before, OCCTAC is committed to empowering youth to reach their fullest potential academically, emotionally and artistically. Through our innovative approach which combines the arts, academics, and creative therapies, participants are engaged and involved in a variety of programs at OCCTAC. Parent involvement and participation is a key mission at our Center. Since our inception, OCCTAC has had a Parent Committee. Every year our parent committee is very active at our center, and meets regularly with the Executive Director to discuss educational programs offered to our students and parents, as well as to develop social & cultural events at our Center. The parents have organized events and activities to unite with the community and attract even more parent involvement with the school and local businesses. They have initiated fundraisers to support the school and to further add to the educational resources at OCCTAC. They also participate in the community education seminars and many are involved in receiving parent education classes. The OCCTAC staff participates in on -going training during the year. All related OCCTAC and Academy staff receive monthly training which covers, but is not limited to, implementing the HOSTS Learning curriculum and program, documenting student growth, and teaching specially designed academic instruction in English to English Language Learners. Other trainings have included the following: Child Abuse identification and reporting, discipline strategies, lesson planning, collaborative teams, and operational issues relevant to a successful after -school program. Regular site visits also take place by the Instructional Specialist and Director of Programs to monitor learning academies and after -school programs. OCCTAC Administrative Staff provides ongoing feedback on effective teaching, academic support and mentoring strategies as well as classroom management techniques to classroom teachers. Executive Director Dr. Ana Jimenez-Hami is the Founder and Executive Director of OCCTAC. She earned a doctoral degree in the fields of Educational Psychology and Special Education with an emphasis on the language and literacy skills of children and youth with special needs. She is also a part-time faculty at Chapman University in the School of Education. During the past 20 years, Dr. Jimenez has prioritized on researching and implementing educational creative interventions/methods that empower youth and the Latino community to succeed in the academic world, and reach for higher educational goals. Dr. Jimenez has been recognized continuously in the community for her contributions. Last year, she was a recipient of the National Hispanic Business Women Association award for organizational entrepreneurship (May, 2007); a National award by the Heartspring Foundation for creativity in Special Education (July, 2007), and a faculty award from Chapman University (June, 2007). Previous awards include City of Santa Ana Community Building Award (2006), and others. Director of Programs/Operations-Dr. Gail Arriola-Nickell holds a Ph.D. in Psychology, and has worked at OCCTAC for the last seven years. As the Director of Programs, Dr. Arriola-Nickell brings strong leadership and innovation in directing both the professional and organizational development. As the Director of Programs, Dr. Arriola-Nickell brings strong leadership and innovation in directing both the professional and organizational development of the OCCTAC. 12