Renaissance Arts Academy

Our Mission & Goals

MISSION

RENAISSANCE ARTS ACADEMY is a small Music and Performing Arts school providing an integrated classical education for middle and high school students from all backgrounds. Through rigorous academic inquiry, collaborative small-group instruction, and professionally-guided arts training, the Academy cultivates 21^st century Renaissance citizens: autonomous scholars able to synthesize intellectual curiosity and academic discernment with artistic discipline to help build a rational, tolerant and hopeful future for all.

GOALS

To utilize artistic discipline as an alternative gateway to powerful literacy and academic excellence in all subjects.

To develop an integrated arts, sciences, mathematics and humanities curriculum that is diversely accessible and engages both teachers and students in a process of ongoing intellectual inquiry.

To implement a school-wide, multi-age, small-group instructional design based on dialectic reasoning, in-depth study of classical texts, and rigorous independent analysis.

To generate an organizationally supportive learning environment that prepares students to recognize options and make informed choices concerning art and ideas, self and others, college and career, and the daily creation of a fulfilling and effective life.

To bring together a cross-section of L.A.’s diverse ethnic, economic and cultural populations in an inter-dependent, arts-focused setting that cultivates mutual respect, teamwork, personal commitment, academic accountability, and ethical behavior.

To nurture whole-family participation in the learning/teaching continuum by including parents as participants in the Academy’s process of educational inquiry, and providing support as they become effective intellectual mentors and artistic coaches to their children.

To help students build self-discipline, personal motivation and individual responsibility through the development of ensemble performing skills, and learn to apply these capabilities to all aspects of their lives.

To allow students to discover, through service, that dedication to the performing arts is more than a means of individual expression – it is a call to generosity of spirit and a commitment to community involvement.

To celebrate the Los Angeles area’s rich and varied cultural heritage by promoting collaborative relationships among district schools, neighborhood associations, arts organizations, business coalitions, and college and university campuses.

To develop a community of professional artist-advisors to work alongside traditionally credentialed teachers in a partnership dedicated to mentoring Southern California’s next generation of civic-minded intellectual and creative leaders.

By enrolling at RenArts, families are choosing an alternative educational experience. Although there is no audition process or prior training required for admission, the Performing Arts portion of the RenArts program is not optional. Every student commits to working toward specific performance goals. Successful completion of grade-level coursework requires a clear demonstration of student commitment to fully participate in, contribute to, and benefit from the Performing Arts portion of the educational program.