The 12th Anniversary year of the California History and Art program for fourth graders featured three exciting, educational components: (1) a field trip to the magnificent 27-acre Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park, (2) a unique on-site Art Stop at the conclusion of the tour, and (3) a follow-up, half-day classroom workshop in the use of oil pastels to forever capture visions of individual students’ rancho experiences.

The integrated program was offered to all elementary schools within Carlsbad’s city limits. Four school administrations were involved: Carlsbad, Encinitas, San Marcos and St. Patrick’s. The city provided the field trips and Art Stops and the Friends underwrote the cost of the instruction for the classroom workshops.

Thus, during the 2008/09 academic year 31 classes representing approximately 1100 students from 11 elementary schools participated.

SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES

The Friends of Carrillo Ranch, Inc. has sponsored art education classes in the Carlsbad area schools since 1995, well prior to the opening of the Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park. The work of these budding artists “in the early years” who had no opportunity to actually visit the rancho is quite remarkable. Please be sure to visit the individual 1998 - 2008 Galleries.

The Friends believes this to be the longest running, privately funded program of its kind serving Carlsbad’s fourth grade students.