The Arts Active Parent Belief Statement was created by a group of parents and community members on January 20, 2007, in a workshop at the Oakland Museum of California in conjunction with the opening of the exhibit, "100 Families Oakland: Art and Social Change." If you would like to "sign" this statement along with the others you see below, send your name and affiliation(s) to the .We are Arts Active Parents of Alameda County. We believe in a world where people can see and understand that creativity is the solution for problems. We believe that through creative collective problem-solving, we are influential in building a whole and vibrant society. We believe that life and participation in various endeavors is about taking risks and not always staying within the lines. We want our students to become whole, happy, empowered individuals, taking their place in an equitable society. And we believe that equitable access to arts learning for ALL students in our County is an essential path to achieving this vision.We believe that Art IS Education. Arts learning honors the gifts that all children have and creates a stronger community. Arts learning brings us greater sensitivity to the needs of others and teaches us to offer our gifts in service to others while celebrating our own individuality and self-responsibility. Arts learning promotes interdependence, investigation, and curiosity. The whole community benefits when our children grow to become conscious, informed, respectful, engaged, compassionate and happy adults.This statement was originally written and signed by the following members of our community (in alphabetical order):Randolph Belle (City of Oakland Arts Advisory Task Force & Support Oakland Artists), Brynnda Collins (Emery Secondary Parent & Community Outreach Coordinator for Emery Schools), Kathy DeRosas (Edna Brewer Middle School Parent), Patricia Denn (Former Skyline High School Parent & Performing Arts Committee), Vena Geasa (Claremont Middle School Visual Art Teacher), Adelpha Gill (Anna Yates Elementary School Parent), Lourdes Haro (Tilden School Parent), Amana Harris (Chabot Elementary School Parent & Director of ArtEsteem at the Attitudinal Healing Connection), Julie Harris (PTA President at Claremont Middle School & Oakland Technical High School Parent), Ophelia Jayme (Montera Middle School Parent & Skyline Performing Arts Committee), Kathy Kahn (Former Skyline Performing Arts Committee Co-chair & Arts Active Parent Coordinator for Alameda County Office of Education), Sabrina Klein (Beacon School Parent & Creative Education Consulting), Lisa B. Lee (Edna Brewer Middle School Parent), Dr. Sonia BasSheva Manjon (Chabot Elementary School Parent & Director of the CCA Center for Art and Public Life), Regina Mouton (KIPP Bridge College Preparatory School Parent), Louise Music (BHS Arts & Humanities Academy Parent & Arts Learning Coordinator, Alameda County Office of Education), Karen Nelson (Art Interpretive Specialist, Oakland Museum of California), Jean Parker (Peralta Elementary School Parent), Cassia Reim (Educator, Lawrence Hall of Science), Rosemary Richie (BAESC - Berkeley Arts in Education Steering Committee & Former Berkeley High Parent), Laura Sherman (Kaiser Elementary School Parent & K-3 Music Teacher), Wanda Stewart (BHS Arts & Humanities Academy Parent), Christopher Waters (Peralta Elementary School Parent), Pat Williams (PTSA President at Edna Brewer Middle School & Oakland Technical High School parent). Subsequent signers have been:Miriam Abrams (Jefferson/Sequoia School, Berkeley), Lilia Aguero, Jacqui Albano, Deirdre Araujo (St. Joseph's Elementary), Bettina Bell (Glenview Elementary School), Beth Brady (Peralta District PTA - Regional), Wendi Bushehry, Jennyann Carthern, Geanie Choy, Robin Downey, Allison Hall, Sondra Hall (Claremont Middle School & Chabot Elementary), Sandra Kay (Vintage Hills Elementary), Carol-Ann Koch-Weser (Peralta District PTA - Regional body serving Alameda County), Mary Ann LaFosse (Cesar Chavez School), Susan Larson, G. Lechon, Victoria Mulcahy, Chris Quan (Former Skyline High School Parent & Performing Arts Committee), Beatriz Restrepo, Jan Rosenberg, Isabel Samaras (Cornell Elementary), Connie Sophocles, Helen Stoltztus, Kari Weil (Berkeley High School), Malana Willis, Nikole Wilson-Ripsom (future Piedmont Avenue Elementary), Susan Wolf, Pamela Woodbridge, Irene Yen (Peralta Elementary), Lynn Zamarra.If you would like to sign it too, just send a request to .