Please Support After-School Arts in Los Angeles

Many non-profits are hurting for funding right now, including a wonderful, local after-school program where a few TACO contributors have worked and met. Inside Out Community Arts offers a free nationally-awarded after-school arts program to junior high students across our city at schools like Drew, Nightingale, Holmes, Clay, and Carver, among others, in addition to joining with programs like A Place Called Home and its own Neighborhood Arts Program in Venice, where some of you probably skate on the Lincoln half-pipe or have seen that purple REVOK piece. I.O. also has a mentoring program and several upstart programs for high school students. Unfortunately, due to the drying up of funds in the aftermath of Goldman-Sach's big swindle, Inside Out is currently facing severe cuts, threatening the programs it offers free to kids. The organization is doing its best to raise a needed $28,000 to continue offering its programs, which were awarded with the "Coming Up Taller Award" from the White House.

Juvenile crime and violence triple in the after-school hours and the dropout rate for students involved in regular arts programs is 90% lower than the general population. Not only are those hours the most critical ones to the success of young people , but this writer has personally witnessed phenomenal transformations in the talented youth of Los Angeles through Inside Out's free workshops, field trips, events, and theater performances, just as I've seen adult artists grow through its support network. We are currently trying to get $10-$20 donations from as many people as possible towards the kids' involvement in the L.A. Marathon. If the arts, youth education, and the future of our city are important to you, please consider making a donation to a very important program though the student's Marathon Page. Thanks!