Celebrating a Week of Wonder
Los Angeles, CA (Feb. 6, 2023) – Today, Los Angeles Unified launched the Cultural Arts Passport, a program to provide students access to the Arts. In partnership with Southern California’s finest cultural organizations and venues, the Cultural Arts Passport program ensures equal access to arts, culture and environmental experiences for every child. The launch comes after a wondrous kick off at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures where Crenshaw High School students, Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho and special guests toured the museum’s groundbreaking exhibition Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971.
“We are excited to launch the Cultural Arts Passport through a Week of Wonder that literally brings arts and culture exposure to every student in Los Angeles Unified,” Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said. “Today, our students were given a unique and exclusive insight into the groundbreaking exhibition Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971 and witnessed the power of artistic expressions which can serve as a window into history where we are able to see the sentiments of the unspoken commonalities that bind us all together.”
“We are thrilled to support the inaugural Los Angeles Unified’s Cultural Arts Passport Program,” Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Director and President Jacqueline Stewart said. “This morning, we welcomed students to see Regeneration — which elevates the long and historically sidelined tradition of Black filmmaking in the United States — and to experience all the Academy Museum has to offer. This vital initiative will give students and families across Los Angeles the opportunity to explore this city’s rich cultural institutions, and we hope it continues to make an impact by providing wider access to the arts.”
“As someone who attended Los Angeles Unified schools my entire life and discovered my love of art through them, I know how important the arts are to finding your passion,” Actor Marcus Scribner said. “I'm honored to be a part of the Week of Wonder!”
As part of the Week of Wonder celebration, thousands of students will participate and attend various cultural experiences to venues across Los Angeles. The Cultural Arts Passport will be rolled out to 100 schools from February through June, before being implemented to all schools beginning July 2023. Through cultural experience trips, professional development for teachers and interdisciplinary classroom instruction, students will be able to make connections between the arts and non-arts disciplines while developing literacy, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
The Week of Wonder and the Cultural Arts Passport are partially supported through generous monetary and in-kind donations from the community. Founding partners who generously support the initiative include The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, Creative Arts Agency, the Fender Play Foundation and other cultural institutions.
“We are fortunate to live in a world-class city, and the treasures that Los Angeles has to offer should be available to students in every corner of Los Angeles Unified,” Board President Jackie Goldberg said. “Giving our students exposure to the almost limitless cultural riches in our city will broaden their world and their personal horizons. I am so excited to hear about their experiences.”
“I am so proud of Los Angeles Unified’s Cultural Arts Passport Program,” Board Vice President Scott M. Schmerelson said. “Not only do students look forward to and enjoy these activities, but because we ensure they are tied to our curriculum, they are especially valuable.”
“Los Angeles is replete with cultural destinations and landmarks that are within minutes from our students in any direction,” Board Member Dr. George J. McKenna III said. “The new cultural passports will ensure that our students have a chance to visit and experience the museums, galleries and performing arts venues that our city has to offer. Seeing and exploring these world-class destinations will augment their classroom learning, inspire creativity and open doors for additional career pathways.”
“Los Angeles is full of history, culture and fun for all ages — and the District’s new Cultural Passport will help students access new and enriching experiences,” Board Member Nick Melvoin said. “From museums, to parks, to local landmarks, this is a great opportunity for our kids to discover new things right in their own community.”
“A robust 21st century education that prepares our students for the world requires that our students have experiences in all the rich cultural offerings available in our diverse city,” Board Member Kelly Gonez said. “I'm grateful to the partnerships we've developed and deepened through this effort and excited about our shared commitment to ensuring students have equitable access to all the vibrancy and diversity found in Los Angeles.”
“In a community as ethnically diverse and artistically rich as Los Angeles, it is crucial for our students to engage in experiential learning with arts and cultural institutions,” Board Member Tanya Ortiz Franklin said. “As a former middle school teacher, I’m proud to support the Cultural Arts Passport for all of our scholars, especially as students gain meaningful — both affirming and expanding — cultural experiences by going on field trips!”
For the most up-to-date information, please follow Los Angeles Unified on Twitter @laschools and @lausdsup, Instagram at @laschools and @lausdsup and Facebook at @laschools and @AlbertoMCarvalho1.
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