Justin Bradford

“We seek funding to develop, integrate and expand the Rural Arts Initiative, a unique programmatic partnership between Prescott School District and Carnegie Picture Lab (CPL). CPL is a local nonprofit using an innovative, evidence-based SEL approach to art education in rural communities. This partnership will include classroom arts instruction integrating SEL principles, special programmatic activities, and two long-term artists-in-residence who will develop a student-led collaborative public artwork integrating principles of SEL and interdisciplinary research. The Rural Arts Initiative was successfully piloted at our school during the 2021-2022 school year. When our district transitioned to new leadership in 2020, Prescott School was experiencing several challenges that left our community physically, socially, and emotionally fractured. The previous district administration had removed programs and resources deemed non-essential, including the school library, arts programs, and Ag Sciences. Additionally, they did not prioritize culturally-responsive curriculum, social and racial justice principles or SEL. These challenges were compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which especially impacted the 80% of our students who are from Spanish-speaking immigrant farmworker households. Our new administration is prioritizing reparative, trust-building work among teachers, staff, students, and families. This work includes bringing back arts and literacy programs, rebuilding Ag Sciences and integrating SEL / trauma-informed curriculum. We seek funding to expand this reparative work through an arts-integrated approach to SEL. We are compelled by strong evidence (see attached document) for collaborative art programs that encourage resiliency, imaginative thinking, prosocial connection, and strong community identity.”