Given California’s current slew of recent bad news—budget disasters, unemployment, and environmental crises among them—it was especially refreshing to hear about the impressive work being done locally around arts education by the Potrero Hill-based Performing Arts Workshop recently. Program Director Jessica Mele told me about the non-profit’s efforts to use arts and performance classes to boost confidence among school age children in area neighborhoods. The instruction that’s brought to schools, whether it be Capoeira, dance, or design, is taught by young professional creative types. Not bad for an adult extracurricular.

At the Mission Education Center in Noe Valley, students get a year of Creative Writing/Visual Art and Brazilian Dance education before they graduate into the general public education system.

In addition to the organization’s Artists-in-Schools program, there are internships for artists interested in educating children and arts instruction brought to homeless shelters, housing facilities and court schools. When asked about the value of their efforts, especially given recent dismal educational funding news, Mele said, “I think that this work is very important because through the arts we’re helping students receive the education that they need and deserve – one that is rich in critical thinking, problem-solving, and fun.”

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