Youth Artists Taking Action
YATA paints mural on COE parking lot.
Youth Artist Taking Action is a group created for students who are interested in exploring the arts with other students in our community. The students are in charge of creating, designing, and developing artistic projects; becoming involved in social action involving the arts; participating in student performances or showcases; leading community arts team-building;, managing social media/communications for the arts within the county; giving presentations about the arts/art projects, produce videos, and conduct research about the arts. If you imagine it, we can do it.
For more information contact Audrey Sirota at asirota@santacruzcoe.org or Andres Ortiz at aortiz@santacruzcoe.org or Celeste Gutierrez at cgutierrez@santacruzcoe.org
We are currently recruiting the 2022-23 YATA Student Leaders. These students will decide which projects YATA will be focusing on this school year!
Get more information and Apply Here.
YATA meets every Tuesday from 4:30-5:30pm location TBD.
YATA's Advisor
Audrey Sirota
Audrey began her career at the age of 8 when she held her first summer camp in Chicago, Illinois, teaching music, dance, drawing, and painting to 12 neighborhood children and earning $50 for her work. Many lessons were learned in that first summer of teaching and learning including the importance of the arts, creativity, and collaboration. Thus began a 30+ year journey of teaching and learning spanning preschool through the university level. Audrey initially worked in the art form of contemporary and creative dance before exploring other mediums including tile mosaic work, theatre and writing.
As the Arts Coordinator for the Santa Cruz COE since 2016, Audrey focuses on issues of equity and access to the arts as well as the great importance of the arts for social and emotional learning. Working with many local and state-wide arts organizations in addition to all of our local districts, Audrey collaborates to bring high quality, standards-based arts residencies and programs to our students throughout our county. She still engages in dance and yoga and writing. She has also been known to pick up a paintbrush!