CAP Partners with IDEA Public Schools

Provides Arts Education at New Jacksonville Campuses

CAP has announced a new partnership with IDEA Public Schools that will provide in-school and afterschool visual and performing arts programs to students enrolled at both IDEA’s Basset Road and River Bluff campuses.

Students enrolled in IDEA’s four schools at its two Jacksonville campuses will have access to high-quality instruction in dance, music, theatre and the visual arts. Classes will be taught by teaching artists employed by CAP providing dynamic arts education experiences both during the school day and in afterschool programs. K-2 students will receive school-day instruction in visual arts and music, taught by part-time teaching artists, while students in grade 6 will have the opportunity to participate in afterschool programs in visual arts, dance and theatre, taught by CAP’s full-time teaching artist fellows.

CAP dance students from Chaffee Trail Elementary. Image credit, Tiffany Manning.

“CAP is proud to partner with IDEA Public Schools,” said CAP President & CEO Rev. Kimberly Hyatt. “We are both working to equip students with the skills and habits of mind they need to succeed in life and build a brighter future. Participation in the arts is much more than an extracurricular activity. Countless studies reinforce what we see every day; the arts add up to higher test scores, enhanced leadership skills, teamwork and the perseverance needed to overcome obstacles.”

On average, children who participate in CAP programs for one year score seven points higher on standardized tests and achieve higher grade level proficiency. Over a 10-year period, 97% of CAP students were promoted to the next grade level and 84% strengthened communication skills with peers and adults and increased “grit” indicators such as class participation and task completion.

CAP is a trusted, nationally recognized nonprofit provider of high-quality arts education that develops every child’s full potential through rigorous instruction from caring professionals. In its nearly 30-year history, through private/public partnerships with Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) and other community organizations, it has provided more than 31,000 students with innovative visual and performing arts education.

“At IDEA, we believe ensuring college success for 100% of our students is the best way to help them succeed in life,” said IDEA Jacksonville VP of Schools Simaran Bakshi. “We also believe that arts education is just as important in creating well-rounded students during their journey to and through college. We are fortunate that our partnership with CAP will provide multiple opportunities for students to experience an enhanced curriculum created by CAP’s highly qualified instructors.”

In 2021, IDEA announced its expansion to Jacksonville, saying “the schools will provide an additional education option to help close the opportunity gap and increase levels of achievement for students and families in Jacksonville.” They plan to expand to six sites by 2025.

CAP is seeking additional part-time teaching artists to facilitate these programs. Click here to learn more and apply.

About IDEA Public Schools
IDEA Public Schools is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves more than 70,000 students in 137 schools across Texas, Southern Louisiana and Florida. Since 2000, IDEA Public Schools has grown from a small school with 150 students to the fastest-growing network of tuition-free, Pre-K-12 public charter schools in the United States. Learn more at ideapublicschools.org.