San Mateo County Creates
Our Vision Every student in San Mateo County is engaged in inclusive, affirming, and culturally sustaining arts education.
Our Mission
SMCC's mission is to provide every student with a robust, standards-based arts education driven by the collective impact of a dedicated, skilled community of arts advocates and arts educators.
San Mateo County Creates is a collective impact initiative working to improve and support arts education in San Mateo County by:
- Building leadership in and through arts education
- Providing advocacy tools and support to strengthen arts education
- Encouraging and assisting districts in all phases of the arts education strategic planning process
- Building meaningful collaborations between educational organizations and community partners
- Connecting professional learning providers with districts, teachers, and teaching artists
- Measuring access to equitable arts education
- Promote sequential, scaffolded, and articulated TK-12 arts programs that foster inquiry and creativity.
A comprehensive education includes the arts, which foster excitement and passion and empower students to become the best versions of themselves. A high-quality arts education prepares students to be global citizens ready for the future, including higher learning and career growth.
A quality arts education promotes:
- Artistic literacy
- Growth mindset
- Civic engagement
- Commitment to social justice
- Social-emotional well-being and confidence
- Creative problem-solving and critical thinking
- Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas
- Self-expression and responsiveness to the world
Therefore, arts education must be:
- Equitable and inclusive
- Culturally relevant, responsive, and expansive
- Innovative and forward-thinking
- Fostering creativity and curiosity