AVID for Arts
AVID for Arts was a groundbreaking collaborative initiative between Center ARTES and local school districts. It was an outgrowth of 14 years of our award-winning Department of Education Model Arts Program, SUAVE (Socios Unidos para Artes Via Educacion- United Community for Arts in Education), in partnership with internationally renowned AVID.
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) was a national initiative aimed at improving educational opportunities for underserved students by improving their speaking, writing, critical thinking, and study skills. AVID for Arts focused on using the arts to improve student learning across the curriculum. Students and teachers worked directly with a SUAVE coach on a weekly basis throughout the year.
Beyond the immediate student centered goals of improving communication skills, literacy, and learning across the curriculum, our belief is that the underlying nature of the arts themselves require the skills of discipline, focus, listening, responding, critiquing, investment, improvisation, and practice. Thus, by engaging students in the study of the arts and in arts activities, AVID goals were achieved and students became even more invested in their own learning while also becoming more engaged, productive members of society.
This activity was funded in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.