Woodlawn students use paint to explore their thinking (Portland Children's Museum).
Studio to School
Taking the Discipline and Experimentation of the Studio Into Oregon Schools
OCF launched the Studio to School Initiative in 2014, investing over $6 million to learn what it takes to design, implement and sustain community-supported arts education programming in schools.
During Studio to School, 18 arts education projects received five-years of funding and the support of a robust learning community. The projects brought together arts organizations and schools or school districts to expand and improve arts education programming for K-12 students in their communities.
Through the Initiative, we witnessed incredible change and growth in the people, organizations, schools and communities engaged in the Studio to School projects. We also learned together, discovering that many challenges, successes, and lessons were shared across the projects, despite their great diversity.
Increasing arts opportunities for underserved youth
Through this project, OCF increased arts opportunities for underserved youth in grades K-8 while also supporting communities in strengthening their networks and capacity to offer year-round arts education.
Arts Education Reports
- A snapshot of K-12 arts education in Oregon (2019): This report provides a snapshot of the arts education opportunities available to Oregon K-12 students through schools and nonprofit organizations, based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and a survey of nonprofit arts organizations
- Oregon Arts Education Snapshot (2015): This report provides an overview of arts education programming delivered by Oregon nonprofits that responded to a survey in summer 2015.
- How the Arts Advance Student Learning: This report summarizes literature on the benefits of arts education and was completed in fall 2017.
- Striving for High-Quality Arts Education: This report summarizes literature that explores the definition of high-quality arts education, and organizes that information in relationship to Studio to School principles.