Turnaround Arts: California

Co-founded in 2014 by architect Frank Gehry and arts-education advocate Malissa Shriver, Turnaround Arts: California seeks to reimagine teaching and learning by creating a coalition of schools, arts organizations, and community members that use the arts to create joyful, equitable, and inclusive learning environments. Turnaround Arts: California helps to connect partner schools with regional arts networks, including community arts organizations, teaching artists, arts and cultural institutions, performance venues, professional learning experts, and higher-education professionals to build community support systems that lead to sustainable change. 

Investment in the arts can promote school growth, such as positive trends in test scores and attendance rates. Today, Turnaround Arts: California serves 14,000 students and 650 educators in 24 public elementary and middle schools across 16 school districts statewide, including urban, suburban, and rural communities. The California affiliate works with more than 40 percent of the 84 participating schools nationwide and involves more than 50 community and arts organizations.