CREATE CA
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Mission Statement
Create CA advocates for high quality arts education for all students by providing policy expertise and by mobilizing a statewide network of advocates and allied partners.
About This Cause
Create CA (formerly the California Alliance for Arts Education) was established as a volunteer-driven, grassroots organization in 1973, when music and visual arts programs flourished throughout the state. Since our founding, school arts programs have faced numerous challenges, including multiple state budget crises and competing school curriculum priorities. Because of these changes to public education, Create CA has evolved into a collective impact coalition focused on restoring high-quality, culturally responsive arts education to all California PreK-12 students. As a large state with over 1,000 school districts, school funding in California is deeply complex, with many decisions getting made at the local level. The Local Control & Accountability Plan (LCAP) is a strategic plan for each school district that outlines how education dollars should be spent. Every plan must address priorities set by the California Department of Education, including graduation rates, student/parent engagement, attendance, and English language proficiency—which can all be achieved by the inclusion of the arts as part of a well-rounded education. But according to SRI Education’s 2022 report Creativity Challenge: The State of Arts Education in California, which studied arts education access across the state, only 11% of California schools meet the state-mandated requirements for arts education. The study’s authors state that “a persistent pattern of inequity emerges from our current data. Elementary schools, court and community schools, and schools serving high proportions of children from low-income families have less access to arts instruction, face more barriers to increasing access, and are less likely to have dedicated rooms with specialized equipment for the arts.” Students from historically marginalized communities, as well as the youngest students, have the fewest opportunities to participate in the arts. To make measurable change and ensure equitable access, we must organize and support arts education advocates at the local level. This is where Create CA comes in. We design programs and resources that help advocates influence school districts and make their voices heard, whether at school board meetings or in Sacramento. We are connected to advocates and partners across the state, enabling us to identify pressing issues, mobilize our network quickly, and disseminate critical information. We also provide leadership training to current students who want to increase access to the arts for themselves and their peers. Because every school district has unique needs, Create CA’s local-level strategy identifies each district’s priorities, which can range from hiring more arts teachers to buying supplies and instruments or establishing rehearsal and performance spaces in schools. By providing one-on-one support to local organizers, Create CA gains a deep understanding of the challenges, priorities and progress made in each of the communities we support.