center for innovation and community impact

your support matters

Foundations, companies, and individuals provided over $870,000 for Center for Innovation and Community Impact programs, which reach all corners of the School and help students serve our community beyond our walls.

An artist’s influence extends far beyond the stage. In addition to inspiring audiences, they educate and mentor new generations of performers. Serving all units of the School, the Center for Innovation and Community Impact equips the artists and educators of tomorrow with the tools to impart a deep and lasting impact on Los Angeles and the global performing arts community. Students benefit from coursework and programming in entrepreneurship, community engagement, and pedagogy as they prepare for fulfilling, sustainable careers.

20 Above: Salonen Conducting Fellows lead a performance with the Zipper Orchestra

Pipeline Of Learning

The Center for Innovation and Community Impact offers a suite of programs available to students from 15 Title I public schools within a six-mile radius of campus. Fully funded through scholarship and program support, these pathways for students to access the very best in music and performing arts education are offered at no cost to the students, their families, or their schools.

Musical Encounter and Zipper Orchestra

6,500 student participants

After a long hiatus due to COVID, Colburn’s in-school programs came roaring back. The Zipper Orchestra returned to local partner schools this year and Salonen Conducting Fellows Molly Turner and Ross Jamie Collins led the complete process of scripting, choosing repertoire, and conducting a chamber orchestra concert.

For more than 40 years, the Musical Encounter program has introduced music and dance to young students from our partner elementary schools. Led by teaching artist Leeav Sofer, Musical Encounter engaged students from every unit of the School in 2022–23.

Musical Encounter Interactive 1,000 student participants

As a pathway to deepen engagement with these students, each year we invite fourth graders to attend a special performance called Musical Encounter Interactive. These shows are collaboratively written and produced by Conservatory students who work with a professional script writer, actor, and drama coach to create a theatrical interactive performance.

“After the first two days, Summer Encounter made me realize that performing arts could be unimaginably fun. I chose to be a counselor because I wanted to give back some of what I was given years ago, but by seeing the campers happy, engaged, and excited, I received so much more. The Summer Encounter experience benefits this group of campers because they learn so many skills in so little time. Most importantly the spirit. I felt the same spirit this time like I did five years ago, and I’m sure they felt it too.”

Summer Encounter 60 student participants

Summer Encounter is the Colburn School’s annual multidisciplinary arts immersion camp for rising fifth grade students from our local Title I partner schools. Campers take intensive classes in voice, guitar, keyboard, percussion, recorder, drama, spoken word poetry, and dance, while collaboratively creating and producing a full theatrical performance which they debut at the end of the camp. Sixty students and 20 counselors from the Community School of Performing Arts will participate in this two-week arts immersion camp in July.

Jumpstart 179 student participants

Jumpstart is an immersive after-school music training program to serve students at the intersection of need and merit from our local Title I schools and community partners. Jumpstart equips students with the knowledge and resources they need to become thriving artists by offering 100% scholarship-supported access to the highest quality music education. Jumpstart numbers increased to Colburn’s largest yet post-COVID, as we continued to provide services to our community, and the program remains a thriving one with students studying in all areas of the Community School.

current jumpstart programs include:

Early Childhood Band Strings Piano Dance Drama

Choir

Students in the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (icyola) also receive music instruction from Colburn as part of an ongoing partnership which offers in-depth teaching, artist support, and scholarships to attend the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts. 18 students from icyola received private instruction in the 2022–23 school year.

Each year Conservatory students gain valuable experience and give back to the community through teaching. For the past four years, Martha Chan has worked with flute students in the Jumpstart program, developing as an educator and finding opportunities to hone her playing along the way.