ORANGE COUNTY CHILDREN'S THERAPEUTIC ARTS CENTER 16 - 2011

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Administrative Assistant certificate program. The course is taught 5 days per week (2 hours per day) for a total of 4 months, and it includes a weekly employability course and technology training. If participants complete all the required hours, they can cam a state certificate! Mental Health Paraprofessional Worker Certificate Program Our agency started a new partnership this year with Pacific Clinics to provide a new certificate program at OCCTAC. WIA participants can earn a certificate to work as a mental health paraprofessional worker with Pacific Clinics or OCCTAC if they completed the required hours for this certificate program. The program runs 4 days per week (2 hrs) each day for a total of 4 months. If WIA participants complete all the required hours they can earn a state certificate! Early Start Program: The Early Start program is a partnership with the Santa Ana College, and serves very young children (6 months to 2 1/2 years of age). This early intervention program aims at educating parents and their young children in a natural community environment that enhances students' cognitive, language, motor and social development. This program runs Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Parent & Child Preschool Program: The Preschool Program serves young children ages 3, 4 and 5 and their parents. The program educates parents and their young children by providing school readiness activities integrated with the arts, and parenting classes. The program runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1:00 -3:00 p.m. The goals of the program are focused on family literacy, second language development, and school readiness. After-school ARTS Programs: The OCCTAC After school ARTS program provides artistic training in the fields of Music, Visual Arts, Dance, Musical Theatre, and Media Lab and Technology training to at -risk youth, and children with disabilities in the community. The program runs Monday through Friday from 3:30 until 8:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It includes a wide variety of classes. Therapeutic Arts Program: OCCTAC offers music therapy, art therapy and expressive arts therapy to children and youth of all ages and disabilities in Orange County to enhance their psychological, socio -emotional, communication, and cognitive development. Students with special needs are referred by the Regional Center, school districts, County of Orange and other partnering agencies in the community. Learning Academy (Homework Support & Tutoring Program): This program provides our students free tutoring in Language Arts (reading and writing), support with other academic subjects and homework support. 2. What kind of experience do you have in incorporating parents, youth and employers into your programs? 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. We are the only facility in Orange County and Santa Ana that offers this powerful combination of the arts, academics and creative therapies for youth with and without disabilities. Our programs have cultivated many success stories where students have improved their academic and literacy tests 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! OCCTAC has established strong partnerships with local business in the community. Some of these partnerships include local small business in downtown Santa Ana, the Santa Ana Public Library, Santa Ana Police Athletic and Activities League and the Heritage House Museum. 14 Exhibit A