With each one, reach one.

Artmaking is better together

Do you have drawing pencils? Help us provide studio-quality drawing pencils to each participant of our afterschool programs. Every quarter, hundreds of drawing pencils help students practice their techniques while our programs are on hiatus.

Paint brushes are very important for our Afterschool Arts Programs. Help us to provide every student with a new set of brushes at the start of each program. A clean brush makes Teaching Artists happy!

Let's be honest - paints, markers, clay, and pastels can be really messy. In fact, on many days, it gets dirty! And every drip and spill matters, so as a part of every art-making lesson, all participants of VAPAE's afterschool arts programs learn the importance of keeping a clean studio space.

VAPAE Afterschool Arts Programs often design and print class T-shirts, either as a visual art project, or to be used as costumes for dance or theater performances, which can greatly increase a sense of wellbeing and belonging.

For dance or theater programs, Teaching Artists use physical props to facilitate learning. Your donation can be used to support performing arts teachers deepen the experience of young people and enliven their imaginations.

Exceptional artwork is worth keeping! Help VAPAE preserve the amazing works created by our gifted students. Once framed, and added to VAPAE's digital archive, works of art can either be donated to the school site for permanent display or given to the artist who created it.

Teaching Artists utilize their tools to teach, demonstrate and create artwork on a weekly basis. That's a lot of wear-and-tear! Help Teaching Artists conserve their supplies by allowing VAPAE to purchase their tool kits in advance. Your investment will allow a Teaching Artist to maximize their materials, while helping VAPAE build their own inventory of art supplies.

Help us celebrate the achievements of an afterschool arts program by sponsoring a culminating event. Be it a rehearsed performance, a film project, a small-scale gallery opening, or full exhibition, culmination provides the rare opportunity for family and friends to celebrate the students' work. Your contribution will go towards hosting this important gathering, as well as, provide personalized certificates for all students who complete a VAPAE Afterschool Arts Program, to be presented at the Culmination Event.

For VAPAE, Community Engagement works multi-directionally. We support UCLA undergraduates as they go into the community to teach art, and are committed to bringing our community partners to our UCLA campus to experience the vibrant campus life and arts culture we are so proud of. Renting school buses or other transportation costs is costly, but worth it, when creating a transformative experience for local youth. Trips to our campus can be a turning point in the lives of a young person who might not otherwise have a chance to visit UCLA; it may even be the a-ha moment when a youth begins to imagine themselves one day becoming a Bruin!

In the schools and communities that VAPAE serves, our students thrive when they are well-nourished and ready to create. Your gift will help provide healthy snacks, as well as, paintbrushes, paper, glue, scissors, pencils, camera film, and other art materials, for the students participating in a VAPAE afterschool arts program over the course of an entire school year.

Make a significant investment in arts education for students from underserved communities. This contribution will help fund a 10-week VAPAE afterschool arts program or an arts enrichment program at a Los Angeles public school or community center. From teaching artists to supplies to snacks, your gift will provide everything needed to help dozens of students develop their own artistic identity and creative confidence.