The Artists Rising to Success (A.R.T.S.) Academy pathway at Grand Terrace High School provides a great opportunity for students looking for a career in the visual arts. This academy prepares students for further study or entry-level jobs in the fields of art and design upon graduation from high school.
The A.R.T.S. Academy pathway is just one of the many career exploration opportunities the Colton Joint Unified School District offers students. In addition to the Linked Learning Pathways -- which integrate aspects of designated career pathways into all academic courses taken by students enrolled in that pathway -- CJUSD also offers 23 Career Technical Education course sequences in a vast selection of fields. Examples include cyber security, automotive and the new STEAM (Science, Technology, Art and Mathematics) shop. These opportunities are offered in partnership with the Colton, Redlands and Yucaipa Regional Occupational Program (CRYROP).
A.R.T.S Academy pathway students “learn what it means to be creative, critical-thinking collaborators and communicators – what we call the Four C’s,” noted teacher Jason DeBord. “In the foundational art courses, students learn and utilize the elements of art and principles of design, which are the building blocks for creating, critiquing and understanding art. The ROP graphic design capstone courses afford students a venue to apply their knowledge while designing compositions in a 21st Century approach.”
DeBord added that graphic design courses are articulated with Riverside Community College so that A.R.T.S. Academy students are earning college credit while still in high school. A future goal of the program is to ensure that students earn Adobe software certification, a plus on their resumes.
During the four years in the A.R.T.S. Academy pathway, students are exposed to the wide variety of options available to them in the arts field.
“During the four-year pathway sequence, students will be exposed to career and industry possibilities, such as art directors, fine artists (painters, sculptors, illustrators), multimedia artists and animators, graphic designers, commercial and industrial designers, desktop publishers, directors, designers (interior, architectural, clothing, makeup, lighting, etc.), and many more. Students also practice filling out job applications, writing resumes and cover letters, and attend mock interviews. Upon graduation, students will have built a diverse portfolio containing traditional drawings, paintings and illustrations, three-dimensional works, and digital graphic art—all ready to be presented with college and job applications,” DeBord said.
“It’s really helping me to progress,” noted student Rudy Aboytes, 16. “I started with no experience at all.”
Student Daniel Camacho hopes to pursue a career as an architect, but in the meantime, already has his own shoe design business – Camacho Customs. He custom paints tennis shoes for clients, mostly classmates. Although not enrolled in the full pathway program, Daniel is taking teacher Christa Padilla’s graphic design course.
“My goal is for them to be able to have the knowledge and skills to get an entry level job in the industry,” Padilla said. She also wants students to identify their special skills and passions that can lead to a future career path.
Student Carolina Estrada, 17, is already earning money from designing. Estrada, who works for the City of Colton’s Community Services Department, uses her graphic design abilities to make flyers for the city. She said it makes her proud to be able to share her artistic and technological skills with the others.
“I can show people, ‘This is what I can do,’” she said.
Those who may ultimately decide not to pursue a career in the arts also get something out of the experience in the pathway, DeBord said.
“Our students learn that being an artist is actually being a problem solver; the skills they develop in creating artworks transfer into life skills and a student evolves into an adaptable, reflective, constructive, interpretive, communicative, empathetic, effective, hard-working, and highly original individual.”
How you can help:
You can support the A.R.T.S. Pathway in many ways, including:
• Offer an internship to students
• Volunteer to help with mock interviews
• Serve as a classroom speaker