While arts education has been cut significantly in public schools throughout California as a cost-saving measure, a recent report finds that support of in-school arts education is high, and further suggests that cultural literacy is one of the key components that will help maintain Silicon Valley’s economic vitality.
The Creative Community Index, released by San Jose-based Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley, is the compilation of four surveys conducted among 111 Silicon Valley non-profit arts organizations, 1,010 adult residents of Santa Clara County, 172 local artists and 84 community leaders.
The Index reports that Silicon Valley relies heavily on a creative workforce that lends the region its competitive edge. The report finds that 58 percent of leaders believe that Silicon Valley’s ability to attract and retain creative talent is decreasing, compared with only 7 percent who see it increasing. Ninety-two percent of business leaders stated they “often or continuously are a source of creativity at work,” and 71 percent said they believe that “half or more positions in their company or organization require creative skills.” Eighty-four percent of high-tech employees stated that creativity is important to the success of their business, while 77 percent of non-tech employees agreed with that statement.
John Kreidler, executive director of Cultural Initiatives and co-author of the report, said, “There is no doubt that creativity has played a huge role in Silicon Valley’s global position. As future employees enter our workforce, there must be a mechanism in place that has prepared them during their younger years so they will thrive in this dynamic environment.”
Forty-six percent of business leaders surveyed cited formal education at the K-12 level as their primary source of creative skills, findings that point to the need to foster cultural literacy as early as preschool if Silicon Valley is to maintain a strong creative workforce. Indeed, 99 percent of business leaders surveyed said that arts should be taught three to four hours per week in addition to math, English, science and other courses. Ninety percent of adult residents – regardless of ethnicity, gender or income – agreed with this statement.
Kreidler said he believes Silicon Valley’s public schools are on the right path, but there is still work to be done. “Since 1999, Cultural Initiatives has, through funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, provided grants, consultation and training services to 171 schools in 27 school districts throughout Santa Clara County,” he said. “That translates into more than 66,000 students who have benefited from these programs. We are very proud of these accomplishments but are by no means resting on our laurels. Rather, we are using the findings of this Index as validation that further expansion of early arts education is critical to the continued success and enrichment of Silicon Valley.”
All six elementary schools in the Los Altos School District have received grants from Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley, a non-profit organization whose goal is to advance the vitality of Silicon Valley through broad cultural participation, quality arts education in public schools and development of an informed and committed leadership in the community.
In addition to communicating survey data, the Creative Community Index provides suggestions for sustainable change. One recommendation is instituting standards-based arts education for preschool through 12th grade, and others include creating and promoting a cultural identity that is uniquely Silicon Valley’s by supporting projects such as
ZeroOne San Jose, a global festival of art on the edge, scheduled for August 2006; advancing Silicon Valley’s professional resident artists and arts institutions; and exploring the nature of current and future demand for employees with digital-arts, design and fine-arts skills.
For more information or to view the complete Index, including survey sources, methodology and recommendations, visit www.ci-sv.org.
