Camp Bravo Inc

Mission

Camp Bravo's mission is to create a summer camp experience that provides young people a non-competitive atmosphere where they can immerse themselves in a program of performing arts workshops that nurture new talents, develop personal insight, build improved self-esteem and encourage young artists to fully explore their creativity. California and the United States suffer an arts education deficit. Recent studies have documented both the fact and negative impact of inadequate arts education. According to An Unfinished Canvas, Arts Education in California: Taking Stock of Policies and Practices, a study commissioned by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, ?California historically has done little to develop, implement, and sustain comprehensive arts programs that provide all students with access to and opportunities in the arts.? One of its key findings is that ?89 percent of California K-12 schools fail to offer a standards-based course of study in [?] music, visual arts, theater and dance?and thus fall short of state goals for arts education.? A RAND Corporation study (Improving Arts Education Partnerships) found that arts education nationwide has ?become marginalized through budget cuts and redirection of resources to other subjects? as schools respond to the No Child Left Behind Act. Yet arts education delivers tremendous benefits, particularly to the California economy. This was shown dramatically in a Report on the Creative Economy of the Los Angeles Region, a groundbreaking study released by the Otis College of Art and Design and prepared by Jack Kyser, Chief Economist of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation: "The key findings are stunning?including one million direct and indirect jobs generated by the creative industries in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Far from being a ?supporting player? in the LA Economy, the creative industries lead the pack, surpassing the two long time ?traditional? leaders?International Trade and Tourism. " And, the same study found: "A lack of arts education in K-12 education. There is a huge irony here because at the college and university level, the creative educational assets of the Los Angeles area are unparalleled. In our current age of idea and imagination, it is said that the MFA is the new MBA. Graduates of arts programs are well prepared to be innovative leaders in other sectors as well."