A Sparx Residency Story: Playwrights Project + Rainforest Art Project at Taft Middle School
There is a mosaic eagle on the wall at Taft Middle School that will outlast all of us.
It soars in deep blues and purples, wings … Read More
Category: Story
Home/Hospital Expressive Arts Program
Extended illness can be deeply isolating for students, making it harder to feel connected to classmates, to learning, and to the simple joy of being part of a group. Through a collaboration with SDUSD’s Home/Hospital, and our arts partner, … Read More
VAPA Foundation invites the community to Applause for a Cause
This spring, the VAPA Foundation invites the community to Applause for a Cause, an evening that celebrates the power of arts education and the students whose lives are changed by it. Formerly known as Beyond Brilliance, the event carries a … Read More
Finding Their Voice Through the Arts
Students who struggle in traditional school settings can often feel alone or “less than.” When the VAPA Foundation first set out to roll out its Sparx Program for expressive arts, we worked with the San Diego Unified School District to … Read More
We are Proud to Introduce our New Name, Applause for a Cause
For years, our annual event was known as Beyond Brilliance, a celebration of the extraordinary talent of our students. As our work has grown, so has our vision.
We are proud to introduce our new name, Applause for a Cause… Read More
A Milestone Summer for Arts Education in City Heights
This season marked our fifth year of Summer Sights and Sounds at Wilson Middle School.
We had record participation of 238 middle schoolers who spent four full weeks diving into music, visual art, dance, and theatre. That’s double our student … Read More
The Hawk at Normal Heights Elementary Soars High Thanks to Arts Access
Walk the grounds of Normal Heights Elementary and you’ll be sure to notice its mascot – the hawk – at every turn. The campus wasn’t always full of vibrant art, in fact, years ago, a plain text sign was the … Read More
Lessons Learned from Success of Arts Access Miami
“They show up more on days they have music,” a powerful statement shared by Sammy Gonzales Zeira, on the impact of music education on students of his Arts Access Miami programs. The VAPA Foundation hosted Zeira, a guiding force for … Read More
Beats, Pixels, Comics and More; Clark Middle School students dial up their creativity in Mid-City Music and VAPA Foundation Level Up Camp!
This summer Mid-City Music and VAPA Foundation had the joy of bringing exciting arts programs to San Diego Unified students at Clark Middle School. Teachers from Mid-City Music led classes such as “Pixel and Palette”, “Comic Sounds and Stories,” “Art … Read More
Looking back on Highlights of the 2024 school year- SDUSD Honor Orchestra Festival at the San Diego Civic Theatre
While we celebrate the dog days of summer and prepare for the upcoming new school year, we’d like to bring attention to one of our highlights of the 2023-2024 school year; the San Diego Unified School District High School Honors … Read More