Arts For The Schools
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Arts For The Schools
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Our Commitment to Social Justice & Equity

4/2/2021

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Arts For The Schools was founded, 36 years ago, to improve access to the arts, improve cultural awareness and cultural competence among our youth and our rural communities.  The foundational tenets of our work has been providing cultural learning opportunities for our children and the public, and a space for the arts to be the pathway to community building and learning.  
 
In 2015 our vision pivoted more towards racial equity, and equitable access became our guiding principle in all of our work and programs.  We uphold these tenets, by delivering our programs and resources equitably among those we serve and take in account equity in all of our decisions, distribution of resources and programming.  Since 2015, we have implemented data tracking tools to evaluate and ensure accountability and expand transparency in our programs.
 
​Our programming focuses on providing economic opportunities for artists of color, artists of all ethnicities, of all abilities, genders, and sexual orientations. Through programming, we provide a public space for the messages of equality within the larger community and most importantly share this message with our young people, to promote a more inclusive, tolerant and equitable world.
 
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We are committed to continuing to uphold our tradition of cultural learning work, community building and equitable access.  We are committed to promoting equality in our work for all people: people of color, indigenous people, people of all abilities and sexual orientations. We know we have more work to do.  We are committed to finding ways to continue to expand equity within our programs, for the people we serve, and in the community, at large.  We will further develop this commitment in our 2021 strategic plan and focus on localized strategies and action steps, to strive to build our rural community as a place of equity and inclusion.  
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Celebrate Black History Month with Your Kids

2/22/2021

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Celebrate Black History Month Feb 1- March 1!

​Did you know Black History Month, or African American History Month, began as a weeklong celebration in 1926? Since the 1890s, Black communities celebrated the birthdays of two people considered to have a big impact on Black history in the US: Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14).

​The theme for The Black History Month 2021 is “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity” explores the African diaspora, and the spread of Black families across the United States.
Here are some ideas to teach your children about Black History:

1) Create a Black History Month collage with important historical figures such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. and President Barack Obama.

2) Join 
Tuesday, Feb. 23 Artists at Home: School Outreach Adapted from the museum’s summer program, “Artists at Home” is a digital interactive program designed to engage students with hands-on artmaking and conversations about African American artists and different visual art genres. Each hour-long session, led by an NMAAHC educator, encourages participants to make art using household materials and discuss the featured artist work. February’s sessions will focus on the works of Wadsworth Jarrell and word portraits. This program is for students from grades six–12. Admission is free; however, registration is required at https://nmaahc.si.edu/events/upcoming.

3) Re-enact a a black history month story book such as Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.

For more details and ideas visit: https://kidactivities.net/black-history-month-activities-for-kids/
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Happy Presidents Day!

2/15/2021

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​In honor of Presidents' Day and in recognition of Black History month, these wonderful kindergartens amazed us with their paintings of President Lincoln!

​Arts For The Schools is teaching TTUSD students at home this year and students are learning so much while at home!
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Spring Visual Arts & Music Classes begin Feb 1

2/8/2021

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New Spring visual arts and music classes begin this week.  A total of 18 new classrooms begin classes once per week and will continue until June.  

Arts For The Schools packed thousands of art supplies to prepare for the free classes including:

2,042 acrylic paint cups
350 sets oil pastels
350 sets chalk pastels
400 print-making sets
400 colored pencils and sharpies
400 paint brushes
80 Mexican gourds and so much more!
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​Art teachers will continue to teach cohort C classes through the Spring at home as well.  Students are enjoying classes that teach the fundamental techniques of visual arts and music and benefit from arts integrated curriculum, for free from Arts For The Schools.
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Thank You Tahoe For Giving Back!

12/16/2020

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We are so grateful to our community for giving so generously to raise money for teaching students at home! We raised $16,150 in just two weeks! Thank you for your support to help us win a Grand Challenge grant from the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation of $1200! We want to thank the foundation for their hard work to organize the campaign and for the generous award.

​A total of 51 donors gave including a matching gift from Truckee Tahoe Lumber Company. We feel so lucky to live in such a wonderful community.

We are well on the way to reaching our goal. Didn't get a chance to donate?  There's still time before December 31st and get a tax write off too!  

See who gave on social media and join the campaign!
https://www.facebook.com/Arts4theSchools
Join the Campaign
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15 Days. 15 Reasons. To Give

12/2/2020

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Today is the first day of Arts For The Schools' campaign to raise $75,000 to teach to public school students, at home and in the classroom this year.

Arts For The Schools will reach thousands of students and community members this year at home with online music, visual arts, and cultural performances.
There is still time to give.
https://www.givebacktahoe.org/organization/Arts-For-The-Schools

#givebacktahoe
#artsfortheschools
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Giving Tuesday 2020, Not Just Another Tuesday

12/1/2020

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December 1st, 2020 marks Giving Tuesday and the start of the Give Back Tahoe campaign this year.  Today you can make a donation through Give Back Tahoe to help Arts For The Schools reach thousands of local kids at home this year with free arts education classes.  Local students and families need  our help now more than ever.

If you give a donation of $5 or more today, your gift can have an even greater impact. Giving on December 1st, could help Arts For The Schools win a Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation Give Back Tahoe Challenge Grant of $2500, reaching another 100 children with visual arts education while at home.


Giving Tuesday is the first day of a Arts For The Schools' month long campaign to raise $75,000 to teach Visual Arts Program courses to public school students online.
 https://www.givebacktahoe.org/organization/Arts-For-The-Schools​
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Taj Mahal First Livestream Performance Nov 17!

11/9/2020

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​Arts For The Schools is proud to partner with the legendary, blues icon Taj Mahal, to bring you access to his first ever LIVESTREAM performance on November 17 at 6pm PT/9pm ET!  

Tickets are $20 and on sale now at https://boxoffice.mandolin.com/pages/_go_/get-tickets?ref=4981:48821   

Use the link above, and a portion of each ticket sold benefits Arts For The Schools arts education programming. Don’t miss this amazing show and chance to support local kids’ education.
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Mexican Heritage Festival Announced!

11/2/2020

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​We invite you to join Truckee's 1st Mexican Heritage Festival.  The Mexican Heritage Festival will celebrate the contributions of Mexican Americans and Mexican businesses to our town and the success of our region.  The festival will include live music, a digital museum, arts and more!

Arts For The Schools has partnered with the Town of Truckee to develop the festival, that was originally scheduled for September 19, 2020 in honor of Mexican Independence Day.  The festival has been postponed to May 5th-8th 2021.  

Mexican-owned businesses contact us to participate!  We are looking for planning committee members, food vendors,  musicians and table vendors!
I want to particpate!
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5th Wooden Boat Challenge, At Home A Success!

9/25/2020

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The 5th annual Wooden Boat Challenge, At Home 2020 was a two day event, Sept 11th and 12th. Teams picked up a set of building materials to take home. Teams had only 3 hours to build their boat on Friday.  Pre and post boat inspection happened via facetime. 

​On Saturday, every half an hour, 1 team came to the Lake Tahoe race course to test the quality and speed of their boat.  
The best times won first, second and funniest boat prizes.

Who Won?
Watch the video to find out!  For more fun photos of the event or for updates on future events visit the WBC page: 


https://www.artsfortheschools.org/wbc-347105-890860.html
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Online Live Art Classes Have Begun!

9/16/2020

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We are happy to say students will still be taught art at home by Arts For The Schools.  It took a bit longer than 3 weeks to pack art supplies and deliver the bags to public schools in time for the family school supply pick up - the first and second weeks of September.  

Every student received a bag of professional quality art supplies with acrylic paints, watercolor paints, oil pastels, soft pastels, print-making tools, colored pencils, professional art papers and more!

The cost of art supplies more than doubled this year, due to the requirement to provide each student with their own art supplies to meet COVID-19 sanitation protocols.

Thank you #NevadaCountyReliefFund for helping with the cost of art supplies!  

​Live online classes have begun!
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Artist in Bloom Yay!

6/3/2020

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​Wow local students really got talent!   For 15 years Artist in Bloom has highlighted the talent of local students artwork by framing one piece for all 1000 students who participated in our 14-week Visual Arts Program!

If you would like to make a small donation to support the costs of the Artist in Bloom event and provide art supplies for local students we would be so grateful!
Donate Today
Learn more about the Visual Arts program where the students created this beautiful art and how to get involved!
I Want Visual Arts!
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Arts For The Schools Awarded California Arts Council Grants Funding to Support Arts Education and Cultural Programming

5/7/2020

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[Truckee, CA] – Today the California Arts Council announced several grants totaling $86,871 to Arts For The Schools as part of its annual funding for arts education in California.
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“We are deeply grateful to the California Arts Council for providing critical funding to ensure that all local students have access to arts education, even in these times”, says Eve McEneaney, CEO. 
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​“Now more than ever we are revamping the way we support schools, students and families and how we deliver education services. We have had to think through how we overcome barriers to school supplies and other logistics – as we keep in the fore-front our mission to serve every child. Only with key funders like the California Arts Council can we continue to develop solutions and ensure that all students have access to an arts education,” says Eve.

Read More
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Arts For The Schools gives away over 500 bags of free art supplies!

5/7/2020

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Arts For The Schools has responded to the shelter in place order and school closures by
teaching free online art and music classes and offering free art supplies for anyone in need.
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“Right now parents and community members need our support. We have continued to teach online live classes for schools and offered free public art classes via You Tube and our website for parents and the public. We are also offering free professional art supplies to anyone in need to help mitigate the impact of home-schooling on families, but also we want to provide for our seniors and families right now that can greatly benefit from art therapy and at-home classes,” says Eve McEneaney, CEO.

​So far Arts For The Schools has given away over 500 bags of professional art supplies to community
members. For more information on the free lessons of free supplies visit artsfortheschools.org or call (530) 582-8278.
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Thank you Lake Tahoe Dance Collective!

5/6/2020

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Arts For The Schools wants to thank Lake Tahoe Dance Collective for offering their studio space for free for Mixed Emotions Theatrix and local teens to rehearse for the So now You Know Production that premiered March 6, 2020.

Great partners like Lake Tahoe Dance collective are what make the world go round!  We could not have pulled off 10 rehearsals in 10 days without their help. Thank you so much!  To learn more about their work please visit https://www.laketahoedancecollective.org.​

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Save the Date Wooden Boat Challenge 2020!

5/4/2020

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Save The Date Sept 12!
We know we can't see you now, but hope that by September 12 we will be able to be together for the 5th Annual Wooden Boat Challenge!

Wooden Boat challenge = Teams of 2-4 brave men and women, have 3 hours to build a boat by hand, without power tools! Then test their wit and skill by racing them on Lake Tahoe to help raise money for kids art education.  You don't want to miss this great time!  Join us for yummy food, kids activities, beer garden, live music and a once in live-time competition!


Save the date and start planning your boat.

Download the WBC Team forms here
ow.ly/CCPa50zuIPJ
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Vail's EpicPromise Foundation has a meaningful impact on over 5,000 local students

4/30/2020

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Vail Resorts EpicPromise Foundation had a large impact on Tahoe Truckee students cultural learning and social-emotional development this year.  Through a generous grant from Vail's EpicPromise Foundation, Arts For The Schools helped to provide 5,525 students and adults access to performing arts and cultural education during the 2019-20 school year.

"Vail's support of our Performing Arts program deeply impacts Arts For The Schools ability to provide local students with cultural learning opportunities.  Their support allowed us to serve 17 schools this year to provide cultural assemblies, in-depth arts training and support music education for juvenile justice system youth, says Eve McEneaney, Arts For The Schools CEO, We are extremely grateful for Vail and Northstar, CA resorts."

Vail Resorts and Northstar, CA generously grants money to local non-profits every year including Arts For The Schools.  In the Tahoe region alone Vail has donated 1.9 million dollars to 93 local non-profits.

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Arts For The Schools has moved!

4/1/2020

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Arts For The Schools moved to a bigger location only 2 blocks away.  Our new location is 11045 Donner Pass Rd. STE 2A.

We are now set-up at our new location and operating online art classes for schools and for free for the public.



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Arts For The Schools offers free art supplies and free classes

3/24/2020

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Parents, Kids and Seniors 
Are you going crazy stuck at home?


Arts For The Schools is offering free online art classes starting on March 24th. We will be offering both visual art and music classes in the coming days!  Visit our You tube channel here onTuesday to take the class for free.

Need professional visual art supplies?  Sign up to schedule a drive thru pick up of art supplies on our website.
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Thank You Truckee Core Values Fund for helping to bring Mixed eMotion Theatrix

3/13/2020

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With the support of the Truckee Core Values Fund Arts For The Schools hosted the Mixed Emotion Theatrix residency for schools and the onSTAGE Live public event on March 6th.  The residency was a large undertaking and began with teen auditions in December and January, and then 10 days of rehearsals with both the professional dance company and the local teens beginning Feb 25th through the public performance March 6th.
​The experience was a once in a lifetime opportunity for the local teens and allowed them to learn the stressful process of putting together a professional production, in very little time. The teens had to develop their own personal stories, memorize their lines, learn a full dance routine and theatrical story-telling in only ten days! 
 
The production performed a total of five performances: for three local schools, a field trip performance with dozens of classes from multiple schools attending, and a public show.  The So Now You Know production was crafted to share the personal stories of the teens and artists and was so moving, that students of all ages were deeply engaged at every performance.  One principal reported to us it was the best assembly they had in years.
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