This year, Pivot is thrilled to have expanded our arts programming, offering students across all four campuses more ways to explore creativity and culture. While the foundation of our arts program is currently rooted in visual arts and art history, we’re also actively working to grow into new disciplines including drama, music, and digital media.

Across our sites, students have the opportunity to engage with the arts through strong community partnerships:

  • At North Bay, visiting artists and digital animation classes are offered through collaborations with the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts and ConnectED. 
  • North Valley is expanding access to digital drawing for A-G VAPA classes with new digital drawing pads that connect to Chromebooks available at the resource center. The site also partners with Chico Arts Center, Sky Cave Arts, Chico Art School, and Chico Creative for enriching field trips and classes. 
  • Riverside students integrate art across subjects in partnership with the Riverside Art Museum and explore creative learning through the museum’s Walk and Wonder program. 
  • In San Diego, residency artists from Art Reach San Diego and the SPARK initiative bring real-world artistic experience into the classroom.

Additionally, all Pivot schools now have access to a range of classes through the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, including digital art, drawing, and animation. These are offered in person for North Bay students and virtually for students at all campuses, expanding access to specialized instruction. In addition, students can now earn A-G VAPA credits in Pivot-created courses such as Photography and Art History, providing an academic pathway into the arts that supports college readiness. 

One student who participated in the Art History Class and Travel program with Nicole Benjamin, one of Pivot North Bay’s Educational Coordinators, shared, “Seeing the way [Nicole] was able to keep everything interesting and her ability to have everyone engaged and interested really inspired me to become an art teacher like her, so I can teach further generations about the importance of art and bring the same joy she brought to me….” 

Stories like this show just how powerful expanded access to arts education can be in sparking new interests, building confidence, and even shaping future career goals. And by working with our community college partners, students can gain transferable college credits, develop career-ready skills, and connect with a community of artists and creators. Pivot’s goal is to make art accessible, exciting, and integrated across all school sites so that our students can find passion, creativity, and joy in their education.