About Us

At Turnaround Arts, we believe that access to the arts is a civil right and that students, teachers, and school leaders all benefit from arts education.

What began as an arts-based school reform model has evolved into a national program backed by the latest research in brain science and bolstered by a commitment to racial equity and social justice. Turnaround Arts provides tangible arts education resources to K-8 Title 1 schools, including a learning framework, national arts projects, school musicals, teacher training, national conferences, cross-country community, and more. These offerings form pathways for schools to deepen the arts and belonging for their students and staff.

Our Strategic Plan

Since releasing our five-year Strategic Plan in 2022, we have focused on developing the Turnaround Arts Learning Framework: Arts-full Practices for Belonging. A decade of work across the country has shown us that our original metrics only told a piece of the impact story that was occurring in our schools. Beyond higher test scores and reductions in disciplinary referrals, our network shared that the arts help students feel belonging, energize teachers and principals, and build a strong sense of community and shared purpose.

Principles & Values

Turnaround Arts strives to infuse the values listed below into our work. We use them as our north star to guide us in achieving our goals.

Transformation

We support and amplify each school community’s pursuit to use the arts towards systemic change in education, academic success, school culture, social and emotional development, creativity, joy, and celebration.

Community

We gather our community regularly to listen to and learn from each other in joyful and purposeful convenings.

Belonging

We collaborate with local stakeholders to build culturally-responsive, arts-rich schools where students experience authentic belonging and are challenged to do meaningful work that reflects their individual lived experiences and identities and exploration of the larger world.

Sharing

We foster sharing of leadership, knowledge, and resources (human, artistic, in-kind, and financial), between national partners, school communities, and schools.

Celebration

We champion the powerful connection between arts-rich schools and classrooms, culturally responsive pedagogy, and research. We celebrate the fact that these practices do not look the same for every school.

Commitment

We recognize that this is not a short-term project as we work to shift educational culture in pursuit of the strategic integration of the arts with equity practices bolstered by leading educational research.

Program Impact

Discover where Turnaround Arts is working in classrooms, communities, and entire districts across the country. Meet our network of inspiring educators who are championing creativity and student success.

Program Impact

See where our work grows

Click on the map or use the filter to learn more!

*Tip: Some locations may appear in blue or yellow clusters when zoomed out

 

Map Legend

oIn-Network Schools

oLocal Arts Partners

oPast Schools

oPilot Schools

oIndividual Educators (coming soon)

Meet Our Community

  • “At my school, the students that get the accolades are the students who perform well in the state standardized tests or district's benchmark tests, hardly ever for the arts. I was so delighted that the poems that were chosen were from students who generally would not get the accolades. For example, [one of the selected students] speaks with lisps, therefore she tends not to participate because she fears her classmates will mock her speech. Another student [whose work was selected] qualifies for special education services, and is currently not performing on grade level. What I'm trying to say is that the Poem Forest Project is very important. It matters. It has boosted the students' self confidence. It made a difference.”

    Ann Salvador

    Teacher, Abbott Elementary

    Lynwood, California

  • “The very fun part (as a teacher of Turnaround Arts) is how the student shows demonstrate the students' understanding of the various art forms that they chose... They have an avenue to go about it, to do it, and to learn.”

    Ja’Rahn Leveston

    Program Director, Milwaukee Turnaround Arts

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

  • “It’s so emotional to me, it’s so beautiful that you guys have these programs for our students so they can have these opportunities, so we can give that gift of hope to their parents. Because they deserve it. They’re worthy of this amazing logro (achievement).”

    Bertha Benavides-López 

    Principal, Willard Intermediate School 

    Santa Ana, California 

  • “As an arts teacher at Barnum School, I saw firsthand what Turnaround Arts does in a classroom. I saw kids smiling, laughing, and engaging happily in the arts. And I also saw it impact my peers and my colleagues, where they began to value art as more than just special, that it was part of their teaching, and they saw children thrive.”

    Sarah-Jane Henry

    Director of Performing and Visual Arts, Bridgeport Public Schools 

    Bridgeport, Connecticut 

  • “As a result of Turnaround Arts, Bethune has experienced many dramatic positive changes. It is actually really hard to identify just one. We have had increased student engagement in academics, we have had decreased behavior issues, decreased attendance issues, and our teacher turnover has decreased drastically... Overall, our building has changed dramatically. When you walk in the building, you feel a sense of calm and celebration of student work. It is no longer a building that is in crisis or dysregulated.”

    Jody Lazo

    Arts Integration Coordinator, Bethune Arts Elementary 

    Minneapolis, Minnesota 

  • “In a graduation message, one 8th grader wrote: ‘Music heals and brings people together. This class has left music forever in my heart.’”

    Mackie Saylor

    Program Manager, 4 Year Plan , Exploring the Arts

    New York City, New York 

  • “I see our students actually feel like they belong. Like especially when we do performances, let’s say, at a local theater house or even when we’re going to the national theater house. It’s just that they then have a sense of pride. They carry themselves differently.”

    Laura Glick

    Instructional Facilitator, Magnet and Innovative Programs, Broward County Public Schools 

    Broward County, Florida 

  • “One of the most positive things that I have seen here at Dogwood as a result of arts integration is increased student engagement. The students are so excited to be in class, they’re excited to learn, because they are learning their content through an art form.”

    Lisa Perkinson

    Dance Teacher, Dogwood Middle School 

    Richmond, Virginia 

Program History

Turnaround Arts launched in 2012 and was founded by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, a White House advisory committee on cultural issues, under the leadership of former First Lady Michelle Obama.

The program is based on the premise that high-quality and integrated arts education can strengthen school improvement efforts, boost academic achievement, and increase student engagement in schools facing deep and historic racial and economic inequity.

Timeline

  • July 2024

    Turnaround Arts hosts Office Hours Residency with Ja’Rahn Leveston for the development of the musical Frederick, based on the life and legacy of Frederick Douglas, in collaboration with Kennedy Center's Social Impact team

  • June 2024

    Poem Forest Celebrations take place at schools, thanks to educators serving as advisors for the project

    Inaugural Educator Fellowship: Arts-Full Activation Cohort fellows first meeting and learning track at Kennedy Center Arts Education Conference

  • April 2024

    Turnaround Arts Student Showcase in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

  • Feb 2024

    Learning Framework feedback collected at Kennedy Center National Community Partnerships Convening

    Poem Forest Moving Poems Project features student poems on Kennedy Center shuttles

  • June 2023

    Turnaround Arts track launched at Kennedy Center Arts Education Conference for partner schools

  • Sept 2023

    Launch of Local Program Leadership Exchange

    Program Think Tank brings together thought-leaders for feedback on the Learning Framework

    Poem Forest Handbook created for feedback from educators serving as project advisors

  • Oct 2022

    Virtual Program ThinkTank brings together thought-leaders for feedback on program design

  • 2022

    Turnaround Arts debuts its Strategic Plan in honor of its 10th Anniversary, and hosts its second virtual Summer Leadership Retreat

  • Sept 2021

    Turnaround Arts is in 60 Schools in nine local programs, Turnaround Arts Season of Learning hosts arts education leaders for monthly online workshops amidst pandemic.

  • 2021

    Emergency Block Funds were distributed to schools in alignment with their new needs due to the pandemic

    Turnaround Arts Summer Leadership Retreat takes place online for the first time.

  • Spring 2020

    First Local Program Summit scheduled to take place around Project Stage: Des Moines is canceled due to the COVID pandemic, and Summer Leadership Retreat cancellation follows in January.

  • 2020

    Local Program Convening takes place at the Kennedy Center REACH

  • Fall 2019

    Five new schools join the program, including a new backbone organization (ETA) in New York City

  • Sept 2019

    The Kennedy Center opens its REACH expansion to the public with a festival featuring performances from Turnaround Arts Schools

  • 2019

    Turnaround Arts releases Racial Equity Statement to network at Summer Leadership Retreat

  • Fall 2018

    12 new schools join the program

  • Jun 2018

    Fanshen Cox debuts the Resident Artist program for the Summer Leadership Retreat

  • Mar 2018

    Turnaround Arts Talent Show is held at The Kennedy Center for the first time

  • 2018

    Turnaround Arts commits to focused equity work, acknowledging the historical systemic oppression that has impacted our communities and educational system, and begins with concentrated workshops and trainings for the National team

  • 2017

    Turnaround Arts officially debuts at the Kennedy Center

    Richmond and Providence local programs join Turnaround Arts, and six new schools join the program

  • Dec 2016

    Turnaround Arts formally transitions from the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities to the Kennedy Center

  • May 2016

    Second Turnaround Arts Talent Show at the White House

  • 2016

    North Dakota and Milwaukee local programs join Turnaround Arts, and 15 new schools join the program

  • 2015

    TA is in 31 schools

    Local Program Training moves to Carmel, CA

    Six new local programs added in Bridgeport, CT, Broward, FL, Washington DC, Hawaii, New York City, and New Orleans, and 18 new schools join the program

  • Sept 2014

    Local Program structure created and 21 schools join in Boston, California, Chicago, Des Moines, Louisiana, and Minnesota

  • Jun 2014

    Summer Leadership Retreat moves to Airlie in Warrenton, VA

  • May 2014

    First Turnaround Arts Talent show, held at The White House

  • Apr 2014

    First Local Program Training at the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

  • 2013

    TA is in 8 schools

    Second Summer Leadership Retreat

  • 2012

    Turnaround Arts pilot launched

    Jun 2012 First Summer Leadership Retreat (Aspen Institute Wye River Conference Center)

  • May 2011

    PCAH releases “Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools”

  • 2011

    Turnaround Arts (TA) is conceived with 8 pilot schools

Meet the Team

Our Team

Staff

  • Holly Bass

    National Director, Turnaround Arts

  • Jonae Davis

    Operations Manager, Turnaround Arts

  • Emilia Pazniokas

    Program Coordinator, Turnaround Arts

Program Leads and Consultants

  • Laura Epperson

    Framework and Fellowship Program Co-Lead

  • Stephanie Lash Kilpatrick

    Framework and Fellowship Program Co-Lead

  • Wendy Wang Pisa

    Digital Engagement Lead

  • Dr. Edie Demas

    Tom O’Connor Consulting Group, Program Design Consultant

Kennedy Center Education Division Leadership

  • Jordan LaSalle

    Vice President for Education, The Kennedy Center

  • Jeanette McCune

    Director of School and Community Programs, The Kennedy Center

Acknowledgments

Supporters

Major Support for Turnaround Arts is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Major support for this program is also provided by an anonymous donor. Additional support is provided by Laird Norton Family Foundation and Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation. 

In-kind support is provided by Flocabulary and Music Theatre International.

This website is made possible by the collaborative efforts of a talented and dedicated group of individuals. We extend our deepest gratitude to:

  • Week of the Website: For their exceptional website and UX development, and laying the foundation for this online platform with their meticulous coding expertise

  • Tremendousness: For their creative vision and stunning graphic design, bringing the website and the Turnaround Arts Learning Framework to life visually

  • Wendy Wang Pisa: For artfully weaving together the program's rich history and current initiatives, crafting a compelling narrative that resonates with our community today

  • Special thanks to our staff content contributors: Holly Bass, Jonae Davis, and Emilia Pazniokas, for generously sharing their expertise and dedicating their time to enrich this website with their valuable insights

  • And to all those who have contributed their voices, talent, and passion to make this website a valuable resource for the Turnaround Arts community