Our Vision
To transform lives through arts and education.
Our Mission
ARTSiE engages and empowers children and families through equity and excellence in arts and education programming, bridging and strengthening cultures and communities.
We Believe
The spirit of the child is nurtured and expressed through the arts.
The child develops through encouragement, collaboration, and personal accountability.
The arts promote social-emotional, physical and intellectual growth, confidence, and freedom.
Project-based learning integrates the arts and education to improve reading and writing.
The arts are the soul of the community.
Our Guiding Goals
Improve reading comprehension.
Heighten social-emotional awareness and connection.
Increase parent & family engagement.
Shift teacher instructional practices.
Our Impact
Through our work, we engage parent participation in their children’s activities and create an environment of parent-child collaboration. We also strengthen community ties by forming connections between families through picnics, performances, carpool transportation, field trips, and by revitalizing the local clubhouse. Through our multifaceted programs, children gain a powerful sense of belonging, satisfaction, and confidence from their collaborative and individual achievements.
Accessibility
ARTSiE's goal is to ensure we remove all barriers to accessing and engaging our activities. We create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome and respected. For physical disabilities, we hold activities in community centers and schools that are accessible by public transportation and are ADA compliant. To remove cost barriers, we offer scholarships and free classes. Additionally, we offer bilingual classes and keep class sizes intentionally small so we can quickly accommodate any needs.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
ARTSiE is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment where creativity and expression thrive for all. We believe that diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and cultural background enriches arts and education for all, providing a broader perspective and deeper understanding of the world, ultimately uniting our humanity.
Embracing Diversity: We celebrate and honor the unique experiences and perspectives that each individual brings to our organization. By embracing diversity, we enhance our collective creativity and innovation. Our programming mirrors this in the types of curriculum we teach.
Ensuring Equity: We strive to provide equitable access to our programming for all children, educators, and community members. This means actively working to remove barriers and create opportunities for those who have been historically marginalized. ARTSiE implements this through offering free and discounted programming rates for children and free community workshops.
Fostering Inclusion: We are dedicated to creating a welcoming and supportive environment where everyone feels valued and respected. If a child has a social/emotional or academic challenge, we work to include them. Our small student to teacher ratio makes it easier to notice if a child is feeling isolated or disconnected and address their needs one on one.
Cultural Responsiveness: We recognize the importance of cultural relevance in arts education. We aim to reflect the diverse cultures and traditions of our community in our programming, ensuring that all voices are heard and represented. From studying the Ghanaian folktales to the Caribbean Carnival celebration to the impact of Frida Kahlo, ARTSiE is committed to embracing diversity through its unique curriculum offerings, especially in reading culturally and linguistically relevant stories aloud and making them come alive for the children.
Continuous Learning: We are committed to ongoing learning and growth in our DEI efforts.
By embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into the core of our mission, ARTSiE seeks to inspire creativity, enhance literacy, and empower individuals and the collective to make meaningful contributions to society. We believe that when the arts reflect the diversity of our community, everyone thrives.