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Take a tour of a new arts academy for students struggling in traditional LAUSD schools
The Design + Media Arts Academy, a partnership between LAUSD and artworxLA, was created inside of a former middle school in South LA.
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Carla Javier/KPCC
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17-year-old Lamar Outlaw says the newly painted hallways, featuring bright colors, make him feel more comfortable at his high school.
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Carla Javier/KPCC
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Couches allow students at the Design + Media Arts Academy to relax as they complete their assignments.
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Carla Javier/KPCC
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As part of their multi-media class, students at the Design + Media Arts Academy are making dioramas of places they feel safe.
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Carla Javier/KPCC
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In addition to their eight hours of arts instruction a week, the students also integrate art into their core academic subjects. The goal is to get them engaged in the material, and to graduate.
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Carla Javier/KPCC
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Students at the Design + Media Arts Academy, a partnership between LAUSD and artworxLA, use paint to make dioramas of places they feel safe.
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Carla Javier/KPCC
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The goal of the Design + Media Arts Academy is to teach the students skills they could use to get a job in the creative economy.
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Carla Javier/KPCC
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The students are working in two teams to create structures to help homeless people in Los Angeles.
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Carla Javier/KPCC
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17-year-old Lamar Outlaw calls this arts lab "the garden." "Because a garden is where you grow," he explained. "And you don't have any bad in there. You just grow."
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Carla Javier/KPCC
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Lamar Outlaw says this arts lab, which he calls "The Garden," is his favorite spot on campus.
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Take a tour of a new arts academy for students struggling in traditional LAUSD schools
There already are schools around Los Angeles to help kids who didn’t make it in the traditional high school system. A new one opening in South L.A. offers something a little different.
There already are schools around Los Angeles to help kids who didn’t make it in the traditional high school system. A new one opening in South L.A. offers something a little different.
LAUSD is partnering up with an arts nonprofit called artworxLA to open up the Design and Media Arts Academy in South LA this year. While other schools do have teaching artists come in to work with youth, this one requires eight hours of arts a week.
You can click through a slideshow of photos from the school above.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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