ICA Why We're Here

Why We're Here


We're here because we know...

  • arts education levels the "learning field" across socio-economic boundaries, improves student retention and reduces the achievement gap
  • professional development of teachers is an essential component of student academic achievement
  • teachers who receive training and support, including instruction in the arts, are more likely to remain in their profession
  • most students in California do not receive instruction in the arts even at the level required by state law
  • 29% of California's public schools offer no study in any arts discipline
  • students who attend schools with high levels of poverty have the least access to arts instruction
  • children with limited English-language proficiency are at especially high risk of academic failure
  • only 48% of African-American and Latino students who start 9th grade graduate four years later
  • students in the Los Angeles Unified School District are among the nation's most at-risk to drop out of school

For The Children

"Inner-City Arts is first and foremost about the children. We exist only for them."