November 3, 2022
For Immediate Release
VAPA Foundation Announces 2022 VAPA Enhancement Program Recipients
Thirty-eight SDUSD Teachers Received Funding for Visual & Performing Arts
Isabella Virzi, Beck Ellman Heald, isabella@behmedia.com, 760-798-6648
San Diego, CA – The VAPA Foundation, whose mission is to increase access to and enhance the quality of arts education in the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), recently announced thirty-eight teachers will receive awards to support for visual and performing arts programs not covered by school budget. The VAPA Enhancement Program, or VEP, enables any San Diego Unified teacher to apply for funds to enhance the quality of and access to arts education in the classroom or school.
This year, the VAPA Foundation granted a total of $63,000 and nearly $190,000 in VEP awards since its inception in 2017. This funding was made possible in part by a sponsorship from UC San Diego and the California Art Council. As the organization has grown, VAPA Foundation was able to increase the amount of money awarded to teachers this year.
“Our organization literally exists to provide this exact support to arts teachers who struggle for supplies to conduct their creative school programs,” stated Jon Bailey, president of the VAPA Foundation board of directors. “After a couple of tough years for schoolkids dealing with pandemic interruptions, we’re very happy to have increased our donation budget to allow an expanded number of grants in 2022. These teachers have a tremendous positive impact on our students, and we are honored to support their successful arts programs.”
2022 Grant Recipients
| Name | School | Arts Discipline |
| Adrienne Asdal | Dingeman ES | Music |
| Annette Barcelona | SDSCPA | Dance |
| Phillip Barham | Ericson ES | Dance |
| Victoria Barham | Doyle ES | Dance |
| Teresa Behnke | Hardy ES | Visual Art |
| Jason Berman | Millennial Tech MS | Media Arts |
| Brian Black | Crawford HS | Visual Art |
| Anne Brady | Scripps Ranch HS | Visual Art |
| Seanha Choi | SDSCPA | Visual Art |
| Terri Clark | Henry HS | Dance |
| Nathan Elias Kocivar | Roosevelt MS | Music |
| Wyatt Ellison | VAPA | Music |
| Kathrine Engan | Innovation MS | Music |
| Tammy Evans | Salk ES | Visual Art |
| Monica George-Halling | Garfield ES | Dance |
| Sarah Hillard | Millennial Tech MS | Visual Art |
| Tyler Johnson | Madison HS | Music |
| Karen Koehler | Silvergate ES | Music |
| Daniel Kriley | Mira Mesa HS | Theatre |
| LeAnn Leyden | Hearst ES | Visual Art |
| Suzanne Long | Correia MS | Visual Art |
| Ryan McCann | Wegeforth ES | Dance |
| Carrie Miller | Knox MS | Dance |
| Heather Mollica | Cadman ES | Dance |
| Krista Nelson | Madison HS | Dance |
| Kris Nieder | Longfelllow K-8 | Visual Art |
| Eric Nielson | Mt. Everest | Music |
| Dee Parrish | Mission Bay HS | Visual Art |
| Meera Ramanthan | Zamorano ES | Visual Art |
| Richard Rogalski | Henry ES | Visual Art |
| Jessi Rogawski | San Diego HS | Visual Art |
| Abraham Shklar | Henry HS | Visual Art |
| Samantha Sibbet | Benchley Weinberger ES | Visual Art |
| Travis Smith | Morse HS | Visual Art |
| Erin Summers | Alcott ES | Arts |
| Marielena Teng | Challenger MS | Music, Theatre |
| Noah Wilke | VAPA | Music, Visual Arts |
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The VAPA Foundation is a local San Diego nonprofit whose mission is to increase access to and enhance the quality of arts education in the San Diego Unified School District. The VAPA Foundation believes that an education infused with the arts transforms the lives of young people. By using data, VAPA targets its programs to schools that demonstrate the most need. VAPA often collaborates with local artists and organizations to bridge the gap between them and SDUSD through its programs. They have served 105,793 students and supported 260 teachers. For more information about the VEP program please visit: https://vapafoundation.org/vep-funding/ or https://vapafoundation.org/