The mission of VSA arts of Idaho is to empower and engage people with disabilities in the creative process through opportunities which are fully inclusive, educational and participatory. VSA Idaho creates opportunities by providing professional training, workshops, developing state initiated projects and implementing successful national programs.
VSA arts(click here to watch a video about VSA arts) is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where people with disabilities learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. VSA arts provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and the tools to support artsprogramming in schools and communities. VSA arts showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities. Each year millions of people participate in VSA arts programs through a nationwidenetwork of affiliates and in 55 countries around the world. VSA arts is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
VSA arts of Idaho is an affiliate in this national network operating under the umbrella of Idaho Parents Unlimited. As a member of this network we deliver specific arts-based educational programs for students with disabilities in four programming areas: educational programs including teaching artist residencies; professional development; cultural access and inclusive arts services; and public awareness and outreach. Affiliated organizations report evaluation outcomes on participants' academic, social, and artistic growth.
These organizations are affiliated through the international office of VSA arts in Washington, D.C., to ensure that they meet fiscal and operational standards as a way to gauge and encourage growth in all program areas. VSA arts defines four priority program areas to facilitate understanding the nature of affiliate programming from state to state. The four program areas were developed in response to VSA arts' guiding principles and affiliated organizations provide a range of innovative programs to meet the local needs of their state and communities.
Arts presentations for the community including galleries, festivals, exhibits, and performances - Awareness materials and activities such as newsletters, community presentations, and Web site production to educate the public about arts, education, and disability topics
Services that ensure people with disabilities have opportunities to experience the arts as audience or artist - for example, audio description, American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for arts performances and exhibits - Physical and programmatic access services such as accessibility site surveys of cultural organizations
Intensive professional development for teachers, artists, and arts program staff addresses critical information for including students with disabilities and integrating arts into the classrooms - Programs that support the career development of artists with disabilities· Technical assistance to cultural institutions focused on improving physical and programmatic access for people with disabilities
The VSA arts of Idaho Creative Access program has developed and provided for over 100 arts in education residencies in Idaho since 1998. Residencies can be in any art discipline. The Idaho program has grown to cover school districts throughout the state and has produced annual in-depth program evaluations on the overall program and outcomes for individual students and schools. The program includes all arts disciplines based on the needs of the local students and the available resources of each community. The program sites include grades K-12 and are always in both of Idaho’s two congressional districts. This coming year we anticipate having over 10 school sites involved in the program. These sites are identified throughout the school year until all program funds for that year have been allocated. Workshops
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