CREATE was founded in 2011 as a part of Bonner Leaders Program through AmeriCorps. We are student-led and operate under the UC Berkeley Public Service Center.

 

We provide free after-school arts enrichment to schools and community centers in the Berkeley-Oakland area. Our student-teachers create their own curriculum and teach 1-2 classes per week on site. Student-teachers attend weekly training sessions where they explore and practice concepts such as curriculum development, positive behavior support, and social justice.

 

CREATE started with 15 student-teachers at 7 different schools, and offered 7 classes. Now, we have grown immensely to on average 35 student-teachers per semester and we offer over 20 classes across 10 different sites. At this size, we currently serve approximately 300 students throughout Berkeley and Oakland each semester. Our sites include several Berkeley public schools, community centers, and a housing project for formerly homeless adults.

 

We are unique in that we offer after-school arts education at no cost: our student-teachers are all volunteer. Many public schools are underfunded when it comes to the arts, so we are proud that we can provide arts enrichment to underserved students in a way that would not be possible otherwise.

 

We are also unique in that we connect Cal students, Berkeley and Oakland primary school students, and the professional East Bay arts community. In 2016-2017, we began hiring local professional teaching artists to develop the skills of our student-teachers and teach awareness of educational injustices. This mentorship program allows us to provide primary school students with activities and practices developed by professional teaching artists. This also provides meaningful ways for Cal students to connect with professional artists in their areas of practice and grow as artists, teachers, and active community members.