Headline

About

Foundation

We are FOSOTA — Friends of Ruth Asawa School of the Arts. We’re a nonprofit foundation dedicated to championing arts education and arts-based learning at San Francisco’s groundbreaking public arts high school and beyond. Our community of donors, volunteers, educators, students, alumni, artists, activists, and allies believes in the transformative power of art in the schools. Together we are mighty. Will you join us?

Our Mission: We champion arts education and arts-based learning through advocacy, outreach, philanthropy, and community.

Our Vision: Inspired by San Francisco’s groundbreaking public arts high school, we envision a city and a world where every student has access to an arts-based education — a research-proven educational model that supports diversity in learning, inspires innovation, and enhances creativity and cognition across all subjects. test a link to a tag #read

About

Friends

Board of Directors

Anna Bukareva

Lighting engineer, girl power activist, alumni sibling (Technical Theater 2009)

Jen Burke / Secretary

Visual designer, fun grammarian, current parent (World Music 2022), alumni parent (Orchestra 2015)

Suz Dehne / Treasurer

Architect, rainbow painter, alumni parent (Band 2020)

Don Fontowitz

Asawa SOTA Educator (XXXX–Present), rebel farmer

Colleen Ivie / Executive Director

Financial services consultant, kite flyer, alumni parent (Band 2012)

Erin Malcolm / Vice President

Transit expert, peacekeeper, alumni (Instrumental Music 1993) alumni parent (Theatre 2014 + 2019)

Ron McCan

Asawa SOTA Educator (XXXX–2020), couturier, alumni (Technical Theater 1995)

Andy Padlo

Asawa SOTA Educator (XXXX–Present), mountain man, alumni parent (Technical Theater 2009)

Anne Yanow / President

Insolvency accountant, friendraiser, alumni parent (Dance 2005)

The Evidence for Arts Integration

“. . . arts integration may hold unique potential as an educational reform model. . . . [I]t has generated a lot of enthusiasm from classroom teachers, school administrators, and policy researchers for its ability to produce results. Studies have now documented significant links between arts integration models and academic and social outcomes for students, efficacy for teachers, and school-wide improvements in culture and climate. Arts integration is efficient, addressing a number of outcomes at the same time. Most important, the greatest gains in schools with arts integration are often seen school-wide and also with the most hard-to-reach and economically disadvantaged students.”

— Reinvesting in Arts Education, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Friends

Board of Directors

Jen Burke / Secretary

Visual designer, grammarian, current parent (World Music 2022), alumni parent (Orchestra 2015)

Suz Dehne / Treasurer

Architect, rainbow painter, alumni parent (Band 2020)

Colleen Ivie / Executive Director

Financial services consultant, entrepreneur, alumni parent (Band 2012)

Erin Malcolm / Vice President

Transit expert, peacekeeper, alumni (Instrumental Music 1993) alumni parent (Theatre 2014 + 2019)

Ron McCan

Educator (Asawa SOTA XXXX–2020), couturier, alumni (Technical Theater 1995)

Andy Padlo

Educator (Asawa SOTA XXXX–Present), outdoor adventurer, alumni parent (Technical Theater 2009)

Anne Yanow / President

Insolvency accountant, friendraiser, alumni parent (Dance 2005)