With support from the California Arts Council, Light Bringer Project will deliver Room 13, a unique afterschool arts program that serves 1,357 students at 5 schools of the Pasadena Unified School District. Room 13 provides arts practice guided by a trained Artist-in-Residence who helps students determine the scope and content of their own projects. The Room 13 studio program adheres to the Visual and Performing Arts Core Content Standards for California public schools.
The organization began as an oral history project, documenting the contributions of artists and arts supporters to the local environment, including the development of our cultural institutions and community-based organizations. Early on, Light Bringer began producing small visual, media and performing arts events at local venues. Eventually, the organization began producing larger-scale special events and, in 1997, turned its attention to youth development and public education. Current programs offered by Light Bringer Project are LocavoreLitLA, a reading promotion program; Expressing Feelings Through Art, a prevention and visual arts and literacy program; Room 13, which provides arts practice at public school sites; and College & Career Pathways, mentorship, work-based learning program. Each opportunity is designed to impart the 21st century skills of creativity, communication, collaboration and critical thinking, and each supports school-to-career initiatives and preparedness for post-secondary education.