SOFA

Welcome to SOFA, otherwise known as Save Our Fine Arts.  Thanks for checking out our website!

We are an organization that was set up in response to Alberta Education’s proposed changes to our Fine Arts Curriculum.  A group of 31 parents, students, educators and other fine arts industry officials make up the SOFA Committee.  If you are interested in becoming a part of our committee, please send a note to saveourfinearts@gmail.com.

If you are concerned about the fine arts changes, please register on our website by hitting the red REGISTER button on the right.  By doing this you are adding your name to a growing list of concerned parents, students, arts educators and professional artists from all corners of Alberta and Canada.  We’ve even got a number of people who have registered from the United States.

If you would like to become more informed about the changes, please explore the website.

Please check back frequently for updates.  These can be found from the home page!

Thank you!

SOFA Organizing Committee

Mission Statement

Our mission is to participate in the preservation, expansion and promotion of excellence in fine arts credit-courses in our schools.

Objectives

Our objectives are to support and advocate for the implementation of quality fine arts curriculum in our schools, supported by adequate facilities and timetabling, delivered by teachers qualified as specialists in visual arts, dance, drama and music to

•  engage all students in K – 6 levels in the active study of all fine arts
• encourage interested and motivated students in grades 7 – 12 to pursue and achieve skills to their full potential in fine arts through in-depth and sequential study with specialists (in multi-credit courses), including directed study in performance groups, workshops and exhibitions.

 Initiatives

 Our initiatives are:

• to communicate and liaison with the Minister of Education, Alberta Education and school boards
• to foster a dialogue with post secondary institutions and Advanced Education and Technology officials to improve the training of fine arts teachers and to inspire fine arts graduates to pursue a professional career in their particular discipline and/or become fine arts educators
• to advocate for allocation and flow of adequate funding to fine arts programs
• to communicate and collaborate with other interested groups and associations.  Further, to facilitate discussion and network with stakeholders and those with a vested interest in quality fine arts education
• to show-case successful fine arts programs to business and government leaders as well the community at large.
• to participate in a review of the Calgary Board of Education instrument loan pool