Introducing Our new Community of Care Team

In Fall 2022, with support from the Parker Foundation and Robert T. Keeler Foundation, ARTS hired its first Community of Care Coordinator, Ada Shido. Combining her educational background in psychology and youth development with her professional experience at ARTS as an intern and program assistant, Ada is ideally suited to step into this role. In addition leading our integration efforts of CARMA principles in program design and delivery, Ada also oversees implementation of a social-emotional assessment tool for youth called the Holistic Student Assessment (HSA). The Community of Care Coordinator works closely with our Programs Manager and teaching artists, and in collaboration with an MSW practicum student whose placement at ARTS runs Fall 2022 - Spring 2023.

From ARTS’ atrium, you would’ve been able to hear the sound of drums and laughter from Reynaldo Escoto’s Narrative Stories class! On Wednesday, October 12th, our SDSU Care Intern, Huy, introduced a special check-in activity. Following the beat of Huy’s drumming, youth struck their open palms or closed fists on the Music Room tables. Then, everyone took turns adding a sound to Huy’s drum beat using different instruments, creating a chain of patterns that grew more unique as it passed through the room. Youth were excited to try out instruments they’d never seen before and even stole the spotlight from Huy with their guitar and drum solos. Before youth exited the Music Room to resume their Dia de los Muertos-themed stop-motion videos, many begged Huy to do another check-in in the Music Room.

Who knew we had such musically talented teens!

Narrative Stories is one of three programs in our Community ARTS programming that is focusing on creating elements for our Dia de los Muertos Festival at Kimball Park. One of ARTS’ goals this year is to introduce more collaborative check-ins like Huy’s to encourage community-building, independence, and self-reflection. Care Interns from SDSU frequently bounce ideas off Laura, our Social Work Intern, and me, the Community of Care Coordinator, to create activities that offer multi-sensory experiences that transition youth to a more creative mindset.

Ada Shido
Community of Care Coordinator

Hi! My name is Ada Shido (she/her). I'm looking forward to creating art with the kids and supporting ARTS' mission of incorporating art into health in a safe and positive environment.

Ada Shido is an artist, recent psychology degree holder, and an embarrassingly huge anime fan. She discovered the healing practice of art by accident when she was doodling on her college applications and has been passionate about destigmatizing the healing practice of art since. She was attracted to ARTS because of its mission of integrating socio-emotional skill-building into arts education as well as serving underrepresented communities. She is currently experimenting with new art styles and forms.

Ada started at ARTS as an intern in Spring of 2021 and over the last year she has had many roles working within classes and with students more one on one. We are excited to see her develop this new role of Community of Care Coordinator and tailer it to the needs of our staff and the community we serve at large.

Laura Acosta
Social Work Intern

Hola! My name is Laura Acosta (she/her), and I am a Social Work grad school student from Portland State University (online), currently I am doing my Social Work internship at ARTS. I became drawn to this organization because their mission aligns with my values of uplifting youth and community through art. Most importantly, I've seen first hand the work this organization has been doing in the community of South Bay.

As a long time South Bay resident I wanted to give back to my community through my internship work and found that ARTS was a great match for my interests.

Some of the work I am engaging in at ARTS now is working with students in the socio-emotional components of our curriculum at the community ARTS programs with youth and support in building community during our Open Studio and Community workshops.

I have a degree in Psychology and Native American Studies from Humboldt State University and aside from my internship I work as a mental health Case Manager at a community clinic in Chula Vista. Mental health is my passion and I look forward to sharing my knowledge in this area and working collectively with the community and staff to improve the lives of those we serve.