City of LA Department of Cultural Affairs Has Announced the First Community Teacher Artists Certificate Program

The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) today announced the formation of the nation's first Community Teaching Artist Certificate Program. This professional development opportunity for artists engaged in, or interested in community teaching will be offered by Cal State LA's College of Arts & Letters, and administered by the University's College of Professional and Global Education (PaGE).

"Los Angeles is a global creative capital - and we have a responsibility to develop the talents and potential of current and aspiring artists across the city," said Mayor Eric Garcetti. "The Community Teaching Artist Certificate Program will help us do just that by empowering artists and giving them the tools to share their discipline through hands-on education."

"We're pleased to partner with the city in this groundbreaking work," said William A. Covino, President of Cal State LA. "By preparing teaching artists, Cal State LA will play a vital role in enhancing arts education and the value it offers communities."

Linda Essig, Dean of the Cal State LA College of Arts and Letters said, "The goal of this certificate program is to provide a theoretical and practical foundation from which teaching artists can assess and deepen their own practice in the communities they serve."

"The certificate will enhance the efficacy and marketability of dynamic cultural leaders by focusing on the broad areas of: curriculum, pedagogy, and professionalization in applied community arts education," said Dustin Garnet, PhD, Assistant Professor of Art Education at Cal State LA. "Teaching artists will build on their cultural capital and gain insights into adapting and orienting themselves in diverse twenty-first century community settings."

The Community Teaching Artist Certificate Program was designed after DCA and Cal State LA hosted focus groups with senior arts educators and administrators with extensive experience in community arts education and programming. These sessions revealed a need to formalize a pedagogical framework and standards of practice for artists providing community arts education. This certificate program codifies core competencies in the following areas: cross-cultural connection and communication; classroom management; and trauma-informed pedagogy.

The 8-week pilot session for the Community Teaching Artist Certificate Program, held at Cal State LA's main campus, will begin on March 13, 2020 and will run until May 1, 2020. The program will cost $995. The deadline to register for the program is February 24, 2020. For more information on the program and registration details, visit the program webpage here.

Danielle Brazell, DCA's General Manager, said: "In developing the Community Teaching Artist Certificate Program, DCA wanted to provide another accessible pathway to education for artists that might not already have college degrees to expand their reach, role, and impact in their communities, as well as increase their experience, employment, and salaries. We hope this program becomes a gateway for artists to participate in other development programs, earn degrees offered by our partner, Cal State LA, or attend other educational institutions."

"After our strategic planning process at DCA, we listened to our teaching artists who told us they wanted more professional development opportunities. We found a way to create a virtuous circle with this program whereby DCA supports artists to learn how to teach in any community setting and then go out into their communities to give the gift of creativity for life-long success to as many people as possible."

As part of its commitment to the certificate program, DCA will recruit applicants from its roster of part-time teaching artists to support a minimum of 12 scholarships during the initial two annual sessions.

The City's Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD) will provide tuition reimbursement for up to an additional 12 eligible participants in the program. EWDD Interim Acting General Manager, Samuel Hughes said, "EWDD welcomes the opportunity to pair artists with education as a tangible expression of its commitment to further holistic business and personal development."

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