Youth Arts at Work
This webinar will explore the connections between arts education, creative youth development, workforce development and college readiness. Young adults will share insights from their in-school and out-of-school arts learning experiences. Their reflections will serve as the context for a discussion of current advocacy opportunities by a panel of experienced advocates, funders and policy leaders.
Adult Panel
Abe Flores, Policy Director, CreateCA
Nurit Smith, Executive Director, Music Forward Foundation
Allison Frenzel, Education Programs Consultant, California Department of Education, Arts, Media, and Entertainment Sector
Dalouge Smith, Board Member, Californians for the Arts
Youth Panel
Cesar Gonzalez, San Diego Youth Symphony
Verenice Velazquez, Los Cenzontles
Robyn Wickizer, MARZ Project
Kenneth Winfield, David's Harp Foundation
Verenice Velazquez, Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy
In the CA 2021-22 Budget, $40 million was allocated to the California Arts Council for Creative Youth Development (CYD). CYD is deep arts learning centered in long-term multi-generational relationships with artist mentors. It is based in the community, rather than schools, primarily happens during after school hours and on weekends, tends to be culturally reflective of the young people involved, and serves them through the age of 24. In addition to arts learning, CYD organizations provide young people with holistic services such as mental health counseling, academic support, college & career readiness, civic engagement, and workforce development. Youth Voice, Cultural Equity & Social Justice, and Collective Action are core principles of CYD work. Outcomes are anchored in Positive Youth Development, not just artistic development. These organizations are using the arts as a platform for personal, community, and social change to create a more just society.
Access to arts education and arts programs helps students to be change agents for their communities and the issues they face. Arts and culture in the hands of youth has the power to transform, to inspire, and build better futures for our communities. Students with access to arts education are 5x less likely to drop out of school, 4x more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, 4x more likely to receive a Bachelor’s Degree and 30% more inclined to pursue a professional career.
An arts and music funding initiative for the November 2022 ballot has been introduced to ensure funding for K-12 arts and music education as it has long been underfunded. Only 1 in 5 public schools in California has a dedicated teacher for traditional arts programs like music, dance, theater and art, or newer forms of creative expression like computer graphics, animation, coding, costume design and filmmaking. Schools serving low-income communities would receive even more funding, helping Black and Latino children who are most likely to lack access to arts education. School funding for the arts will increase by almost $900 million each year and arts programs in schools will grow by more than 50%.
Panelists Bios
Abe Flores, Policy Director, Create CA
Abe Flores is an advocate, administrator, and organizer “paying it forward” by advancing the arts in schools and communities. He grew up in Boyle Heights with the arts as the spark that lit his passion for education and community. Seeing first-hand the inequitable access to a complete education in his community and others like it – he dedicated his career to ensuring all youth benefit from the arts as he did. He has organized advocacy efforts for the arts at the local, state, and national levels and was the Program Director for a youth development program focused on creativity and wellness in his native Boyle Heights. In 2013, he won the American Express Emerging Leader Award for organizing communities throughout LA County to advocate for the arts in their schools. In his current role as Create CA’s Policy Director, he leads the organization’s collective impact and policy work to ensure that a quality arts education is part of every student’s life. He is married to his high school sweetheart, raising two boys, William and Wyatt, has visited over 30 national parks, and still plays in a rock band.
Nurit Siegel Smith, Executive Director, Music Forward Foundation
Nurit Siegel Smith is a social sector executive and creative strategist dedicated to improving and advancing organizations that positively impact the world around us. She has spent the past two decades in roles in arts and entertainment non-profits exploring the intersection of education, performance, philanthropy, and advocacy. With extensive knowledge of the social and entertainment industry sectors, she has managed positions within varied organizations including Blue Man Group, Highways Performance Space, SAG-AFTRA Foundation and Grand Performances. As Executive Director of Music Forward Foundation, she guides a dedicated, national staff who deliver programs that uplift the next generation, empower youth, and help break the barriers of gender, poverty, and race to enter the music industry. Her work at Music Forward also entails managing charitable partnerships including the global relief fund Crew Nation. She is a UC Berkeley dance and theater graduate; her work as a performer and creator has been seen on TV and film and on stages across the country.
Allison Frenzel, Program Manager for Secondary Arts, Media, and Entertainment (AME) Sector, CA Dept. of Education
Allison Frenzel is an education programs specialist with the California Department of Education’s High School Innovations and Initiatives Office. She supports all Arts, Media and Entertainment (AME) and Secondary Arts programs in the state of California. Prior to her work at CDE, Allison spent 15 years as a classroom teacher and program coordinator in Sonoma County, and founded Pulse Arts, a 501(c)3 dedicated to connecting professional creatives and public education. Through programs like the AME Workforce Development and Youth Apprenticeship Program, the Hip Hop Education and Equity Initiative, and partnerships with the California Film Commission and creative industry, Allison's work is centered around supporting arts education equity and increasing access to industry-connected creative learning and career preparatory opportunities for AME programs in the state of California.
Dalouge Smith, Board Member, Californias for the Arts
Dalouge Smith is a champion for bringing people together and strengthening communities through music. He joined The Lewis Prize for Music as its first CEO in August 2018. He oversaw the development of an open application and evaluation process rooted in equity that includes young adults as decision makers. This has resulted in awards and grants of $8 million to 70 creative youth development (CYD) music programs across the country since 2020. Along with financial support, The Lewis Prize brings visibility to the CYD field's commitment to provide young people with the relationships and resources they need to thrive creatively and personally. Previously, Dalouge led San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory (SDYS) for 13 years and where he founded the Community Opus Project in partnership with Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD), California’s largest K-6 district. This collaboration resulted in the restoration of music and arts education to all 30,000 CVESD students and the hiring of over 100 certified arts educators. Dalouge grew up singing folk songs with family and performing in professional theatre productions. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA and studied Gandhi’s non-violent movement for a year in India. Dalouge serves as Treasurer of California Arts Advocates and as a board member for Californians for the Arts.
Verenice Velazquez, Development and Communications Coordinator, Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy
Verenice Velazquez was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area surrounded by the cultural traditions of Guanajuato, Mexico, where both her parents are from. She started at Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy at the age of 7, learning traditional zapateado, and since then has learned to dance and play various styles of Mexican folk music. She graduated from UC San Diego in 2020 with a degree in Urban Studies and Planning and is passionate about social connection and how it is impacted by surrounding environments. She is currently working at Los Cenzontles in the Development and Communications department.
Cesar Gonzalez, San Diego Youth Symphony
My name is Cesar. I've been playing the violin for 11 (almost 12) years now, and I was started off in this musical journey by the Community Opus Project, which is a subsect of the San Diego Youth Symphony. Over these last 11 years, I've gotten to participate in so many opportunities thanks to music. Had it not been for that one visit where a few SDYS representatives came to my elementary school during the third grade and played Pop Goes the Weasel, my life would be much different right now. Currently, I'm playing with the San Diego State University Symphony Orchestra, as well as with a friend group I met at SDSU, called Bambula, where we play a combination of Latin, Reggae, and Jazz tunes (IG: @bambulamusic). Thanks for inviting me, I'm so glad to participate in this panel.
Kenneth Winfield, David Harp’s Foundation Intern
My name is kenneth winfield. I was born March 2 1999 I'm currently 23 years old and I'm working on getting my life together. I come from a single parent household i have 2 sisters and a brother. I graduated high-school and was Abel to take some college classes. I got into trouble for some of my behaviors and went through jails,rehabs, and programs due to it. I'm seeking help to better the person I will be day by day. I'm currently working and attending the David's harp foundation as an intern. I attend online classes at San diego community city college and progressing towards my new goals in life.
Robyn Wickizer, Youth Panelist, Student at Alder Grove Charter
Robyn Wickizer is a student at Alder Grove Charter School. They are a multimedia artist and performer engaged in work as varied as voice acting, podcasting, music production, and digital art and design. You can find links to their work at their self-built website, www.meif.xyz