Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) and Think Together, a nonprofit organization that brings expanded learning opportunities to schools in California, have successfully partnered together to pilot new after-school programs that offer young students foundational arts training. Think Together is an industry leader at the forefront of developing innovative, high-quality educational programs for students across the state, aligning with OCSA’s mission.
OCSA and Think Together began collaborating in 2023, and have since served more than 4,000 students in grades TK-8 in Orange, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino Counties. To meet the need of growing interest from local school districts, the organizations are scaling their alliance to serve even more communities in the Southern California region and beyond.
“I’m proud that, together, our two organizations are working toward providing children access to exceptional arts educational opportunities at their schools,” said Teren Shaffer, OCSA president and CEO. “OCSA’s partnership with Think Together allows us to bring arts and culture to local communities, especially those that are often overlooked.”
With arts programming often the first to face reductions due to public school budget constraints, this collaboration fills a needed gap in ensuring students have access to a balanced education.
"After-school arts programs are key to providing a well-rounded learning experience for students, because they create opportunities to explore beyond the academics and discover new passions," said Randy Barth, Think Together founder and CEO. "Think Together looks forward to continuing to work alongside OCSA to help students express their creativity and dream big."
OCSA and Think Together currently provide arts enrichment accelerator programming for schools within the Paramount Unified School District (PUSD) and Lynwood Unified School District, with more districts to be announced in the near future. Programming is offered in 10-week cycles throughout the school year at select campuses within these two districts.
Students from PUSD partake in a wide variety of arts experiences, including ballet folklórico, mariachi music, filmmaking, and arts management and innovation. Over the course of 10 weeks, students participate in hands-on, interactive class sessions that immerse them in these unique arts offerings. Students master not only the movements and mechanics, but also the deeper origins of these art forms.
PUSD parent Stephanie Lopez shared she is thrilled that this free program has been brought to her daughter’s school, inspiring her to participate in ballet folklórico.
Students from Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD), a previous arts enrichment accelerator participant, joined a pilot after-school culinary arts program, where they explored cooking and nutrition.
Asher, a second grader from NMUSD, said he learned to cook for the first time through this program and enjoyed eating the food he made with his friends.
OCSA and Think Together are also collaborating with Visalia Unified School District to develop curriculum for its pilot arts academies, where students are exploring visual arts, creative writing, and ukulele.
“This opportunity to collaborate with Think Together has allowed us to inspire students to discover new pathways and possibilities, opening doors to a brighter and more equitable future,” said Brian Stevens, OCSA’s director of community engagement.
OCSA is honored to continue its partnership with Think Together, with the hope that more children throughout Southern California will have the opportunity to experience high-caliber arts training.