FY 23-24 Program Report

Agency Name: Arts Council Santa Cruz County Program Name: Arts Council Santa Cruz County Equity Dimension: Race

Condition: Lifelong Learning & Education Tier: Medium Budget: $36,000.00

Annual Goal FY 23-24	Annual Goal FY 23-24
Unduplicated Participants     Total Unduplicated Participants 15 12	How Many Activities/Services Will Be Provided?     33 trainings  33 34 In 2023-24, 1 Student Teacher Showcase in the Spring  1 1
Annual Goal FY 23-24 Age     0-5 0% 0% 6-18 100% 92% 19-59 0% 8% 60+ 0% 0% Unknown 0% 0%	Annual Goal FY 23-24 Language     English 15% 0% Spanish 85% 100% Other 0% 0% Unknown 0% 0%
Ethnicity     African American 0% 0% Asian 1% 0% Latino 95% 83% Multi-racial 3% 17% Native American/Alaskan 0% 0% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0% 0% White 1% 0% Other 0% 0% Unknown 0% 0%	Gender     Female 50% 75% Male 50% 25% Transgender- Female 0% 0% Transgender- Male 0% 0% Other 0% 0% Unknown 0% 0% Nonbinary 0% 0%
Location     Capitola 0% 0% Santa Cruz 0% 0% Scotts Valley 0% 0% Watsonville 95% 83% Unincorporated Mid-County (e.g., Live Oak, Soquel, Aptos ) 0% 0% Unincorporated North County (e.g. , Davenport )  0% 0% Unincorporated San Lorenzo Valley (e.g., Ben Lomond ) 0% 0% Unincorporated South County (e.g., Freedom ) 5% 17% Unknown 0% 0% Out of County 0% 0%

Annual Goal FY 23-24   Annual Goal FY 23-24 How Well Did We Provide Service?     How many participants did you survey? 15 12 80% of program participants will report being either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with program services as measured by a one-question participant survey that will be completed by June 30th of each FY.   80% 100%

Annual Goal FY 23-24   Annual Goal FY 23-24 Is Anyone Better Off?     80% of participants will improve self-esteem, specifically participants will express an increase in confidence about themselves as capable artists, as measure by pre and post program surveys.  80% 100% 80% of program participants will increase their knowledge of the elements, principles, and techniques of their art from, as measured by pre and post program surveys.  80% 100% 80% of participants will improve their public speaking skills, specifically participants will express increased confidence in speaking in front of an audience, as measured by pre and post program surveys.   80% 100%

Additional CORE Questions  (The maximum length is limited to 1200 characters in the below boxes)
1. Briefly describe any progress and/or successes your CORE program achieved implementing its activities during FY 2023-2024. (Recommended 2-4 sentences)	We retained four high school student teachers from FY23, increasing learning and community engagement and strengthening the program. Two returning students helped interview new teachers and participated on our Arts Education Committee giving invaluable feedback and receiving career training, community involvement, and after-school work hours. Two student teachers participated in more than one arts discipline, enabling them to learn teaching and arts skills from different teaching artists. We held our most highly attended student teacher showcase in the spring, with community members and student teachers' families in attendance. Teaching summer school with us, they grew in confidence and skill, which also helped with retention, as they didn’t have to seek alternative employment during summer months. We expect at least three of the FY24 cohort to reapply in FY25 - a testament to the program’s success and benefit to the community, as their expertise and confidence will help us all. This field is required
2. (Optional, Success Stories) Please share a short story about the experience of a participant or family that received services funded through this contract during FY 2023-2024. Please state the specific activity that was provided and the impact or positive change that occurred as a result of the service(s) provided. *Please make sure to change any identifying information, such as names.*	Here are a few high school student teacher quotes about how working within Mariposa Arts impacted their lives. “It has helped me a lot with keeping up with grades and just having experience around younger people.” “I have seen that being inside a classroom with students who depend on me has given me a new perspective on myself and how I'm able to help others.” “It has made me a better artist and I’ve had so much fun throughout the whole year. “I say that my teaching artist allows me the opportunity to be myself.” “I want to become a music teacher in the future because of Mariposa Arts, and I think it is a good opportunity because I didn’t know what I wanted to study after high school.” “Mariposa Arts transformed me by creating the space I needed. Not only was I able to demonstrate one of my greatest passions in life to the younger generation, but also grow as an artist and person who is confident and learning.”
3. Please describe any challenges your agency experienced in implementing its CORE funded program.	In September 2023, our Watsonville Center for the Arts flooded due to a traffic accident involving a fire hydrant, resulting in the closure of our Center through December. This was a challenge for our Arts Education program. The closure was expensive and challenging. With help from partner organizations, Pajaro Valley Arts and Pajaro Valley Unified School District, who provided space for training, no Arts Education programming was paused. And, while we didn’t successfully recruit and retain 15 student teachers, the cohort of 12 is stronger than ever due to retention, training, and increased access to job development and income over the summer months. This field is required
4.Have you encountered challenges in collecting CORE program or participant data?	Yes No This field is required
5. If you answered yes, what challenges did you experience? (Recommended 2-4 sentences)	N/A
6. What technical assistance can HSD or the CORE Institute provide to support your data collection activities?	We’re working with an evaluation consultant across the organization; therefore haven’t required a great deal of support from the CORPS or HSD team. This field is required
7. During FY 2023-2024, did your CORE program staff participate in a CORE Institute event (e.g., Coffee Chats or Conversations)?	Yes No This field is required
8. During FY 2023-2024, how did your CORE program engage its staff on issues of equity?	Mariposa’s art management staff Program staff develop annual plans that explicitly advance racial equity and investment in historically and systematically excluded communities. We’re exploring organizational models based on shared power and decision-making, including hiring processes, titles, and pay structures. Our racial affinity groups are safe spaces for BIPOC and white staff to explore equity in the workplace. We also meet as a group to build trust and understanding. Our emotional labor policy provides staff opportunities for wellness activities in recognition of and appreciation for emotional labor that often goes uncompensated and unrecognized. To engage, reflect, and represent our community, we lean into the wisdom, lived experience, and skills of our Equity Committee. Staff take issues and policies to this group for discussion and input. This field is required
9. In the CORE RFP, your program indicated an equity issue your program would address. How has your program impacted this equity issue in FY 2023-2024?	Our teaching artists, many born and raised in Watsonville, are bilingual and reflect the student population. Their shared experiences foster trust and mutual understanding with student teachers and students. The youth we engage don’t often see themselves reflected in what they learn in school. Mariposa Arts’ lessons emphasize relevant, contemporary Latinx artists and cultural art forms. Our professional teaching artists and student teachers reflect the student population, and most are bilingual Spanish-speaking. Additionally, equity and accessibility are part of the Mariposa Arts program by design. Student teachers are provided with transportation, snacks, weekly arts, job training, and payment for their work in the program. All Mariposa Arts programming is free of charge and held in schools that don’t have access to quality arts activities in their afterschool programs. When training student teachers and teaching artists, we discuss the ways we’re striving toward equity as an organization. This field is required