Tour Options
Both Wednesday and Thursday of the Conference will begin with a tour or experience option that is included in the full conference registration or daily rate registration for that specific day. You will select your tour during the registration process. Learn more about all the offerings below.
-Tour Options-
Tour space is limited. Register for conference early to secure your spot.
Wednesday School/Community Tours
San Diego School for Creative and Performing Arts (SDSCPA) Who would benefit from this tour? Conference attendees interested in seeing how a clear vision and strong frameworks can shape a school’s success will learn how SDSCPA has developed strong artistic pathways and a community that loves and lifts. Description The San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts (SDSCPA) is a tuition-free, Title I public magnet school in San Diego Unified serving approximately 1,350 students in grades 6–12 from more than 50 zip codes across the county. As the district’s premier pre-conservatory arts school, SDSCPA offers audition-based admission and an intensive dual curriculum that blends rigorous college-preparatory academics with focused training in six arts majors—Creative Writing, Dance, Design & Production, Music, Theatre, and Visual & Media Arts. The arts are central to the school day, comprising nearly 40 percent of instruction, with students progressing through a structured sequence that builds technical skill, creative voice, and historical understanding, culminating in public performances, exhibitions, juries, and showcases. Students learn from professional artists through residencies, masterclasses, and mentorships while also engaging in Honors, Advanced Placement, and arts-integrated UCCI courses within a 4x4 block schedule that allows completion of eight courses annually. Additionally, through a partnership with San Diego City College, more than 90 percent of students complete at least one dual-credit college course before graduation. SDSCPA is one of the most diverse schools in California, with over 80 percent of students identifying as students of color, and consistently demonstrates strong academic outcomes, high graduation and attendance rates, and more than $15 million in scholarships earned annually by graduates. Fully accredited by WASC, recognized as an Exemplary Arts School by the National Arts Schools Network (2023–2028), and a 2026 California Exemplary Arts Education Awardee, SDSCPA prepares students to graduate as skilled artists, creative thinkers, and academically accomplished scholars ready for success in universities, conservatories, and the professional arts world. Visitors are invited to experience this work firsthand by touring our campus and learning spaces, observing pre-conservatory arts instruction and arts integration in action, learning about our innovative initiatives, and hearing directly from students about their learning.
Creative Performing & Media Arts Middle School (CPMA) Who would benefit from this tour? Conference attendees interested in arts-integration, be it at elementary, middle, or high school, will learn how CPMA has made arts a cornerstone in all classrooms and foster bridges across disciplines. Description CPMA is a vibrant public middle school in the San Diego Unified School District serving grades 6–8. CPMA is a diverse and inclusive arts-focused school where students develop as both artists and scholars in an environment where creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication are central to learning. Through an arts-integrated curriculum implemented across core academic classes, students learn through interdisciplinary units and courses that teach about, with, and through the arts, providing multiple pathways for expression, understanding, and academic achievement. Students pursue focused arts pathways in theatre, music, dance, and creative writing, while also engaging in innovative programs such as Influencer Academy and Modern Band & Music Production that connect artistic creativity with real-world skills. CPMA serves a diverse student population and provides a full continuum of special education services, ensuring all students have access to rigorous academics and meaningful arts experiences. Visitors will tour classrooms where arts integration is embedded in core instruction, observe interdisciplinary learning in action, and participate in a brief professional development session demonstrating how teachers collaboratively plan for our “Creating Connections” Night, a schoolwide event that highlights arts integration in core academic courses. This session will introduce our Dual Standards Model for arts-integrated learning, showing how teachers design lessons and projects that intentionally connect academic content standards with arts standards through interdisciplinary planning and performance-based learning.
Zamorano Fine Arts Academy Who would benefit from this tour? Conference attendees who are interested in how to create a strong arts community, regardless of the grade level, will see how Zamarano continues to draw students from even outside of district borders because of its intentional focus on community building and bridging cultures. Descriptions Zamorano Fine Arts Academy (ZFAA) is a tuition-free, Title I school in San Diego Unified serving approximately 735 students in grades UTK-5th. Established in 1986, ZFAA is an exciting and innovative school that provides its diverse student population with the opportunity to develop artistic knowledge and art appreciation, specifically in visual and media arts. Students engage and explore a variety of media while being introduced to artists in the community and from around the world culminating in the annual art show, Celebration of art in the spring. Student works are regularly displayed at the local public libraries, Youth Art Month (YAM) and CAEA San Diego County K-8 Student Art Exhibit to take pride in their work and appreciate the work of others. ZFAA was selected as 1 of the 60 schools in the country to pilot the first National Elementary Art Honor Society and establish its first chapter with 34 5th grade students in the 2025-26 school year. ZFAA offers 5th grade students to also design and participate in a legacy mural, an experience unique to the school. By enhancing critical thinking, fostering creativity and innovation, encouraging positive risk taking and fine motor skills, ZFAA prepares students to become problem solvers and lifelong learners.
Freese Arts and Culture Museum Magnet School Who would benefit from this tour? Conference attendees interested in leading quality partnerships, be it an elementary, secondary, or community organization, will learn how Freese has helped bridge divides by creating a high school internship opportunity and partnered with local arts organizations. Description Visit Freese Arts and Culture Museum Magnet School, a title 1 TK–5 campus where the arts are woven into everyday learning and community life. Grounded in the belief that “We Learn, We Lead, We Lift Each Other Up,” Freese shows how strong partnerships can bring arts education to life. On this tour, you’ll learn how collaborations with ArtReach, Arts Education Connection, and the Mingei Museum support hands-on, culturally relevant visual arts that connect directly to classroom learning. A highlight is Freese’s on-site gallery space, featuring international folk art on loan from San Diego Mesa College World Art Collection, giving students daily access to real works of art as inspiration for their own creations. You’ll also experience the partnership with Freese, SDSCPA, and San Diego Mesa College World Art Collection, where high school students step into the role of aides and curators, helping plan and present student work for community exhibitions. Join us to see how partnerships expand what’s possible for young artists and create meaningful, connected learning experiences.
La Jolla Playhouse Experience one of the nation’s leading regional theatres, La Jolla Playhouse, renowned for developing bold new work and championing artists whose stories shape the future of American theatre. With a legacy of transferring productions to Broadway and beyond, the Playhouse is not only a creative powerhouse, but also a vital leader in arts education and community engagement. During this visit, participants will explore a range of performance and production spaces— including theatres, backstage areas, and working studios such as the prop shop, costume shop, and scene shops—offering a behind-the-scenes look at how professional theatre is brought to life. The experience also highlights the Playhouse’s extensive Learning and Engagement programs, which serve thousands of students, educators, and community members each year through innovative, inclusive arts initiatives. Join us to see how La Jolla Playhouse blends artistic excellence with community impact, creating opportunities for learning, storytelling, and connection both on and off the stage.
Thursday Community Arts Experiences
Balboa Art Conservation Center What does it mean to preserve culture, and how can conservation as a living practice inform teaching and learning? This 3-hour professional development workshop at the Balboa Art Conservation Center introduces educators to the field of conservation through the lens of identity, inquiry, and cultural responsibility, and explores how conservation–understood as part of the broader, lived practice of cultural preservation–can serve as an interdisciplinary framework for teaching and learning. Participants will begin with three guiding questions – Who am I? Who am I from? Where am I from? – as a starting point for exploring how personal and collective stories are embedded in material culture. Participants will then explore how conservation concepts intersect with arts, humanities, and STEAM learning environments through a guided conservation lab tour and object-based discussion. Rather than presenting a fixed curriculum, this Train-the-Trainer model invites educators to translate preservation ideas through their own pedagogical expertise and teaching contexts. Participants will leave with a framework for discussing cultural preservation with students and at least one initial idea for integrating material culture and conservation concepts into their classroom practice as part of everyday learning.
San Diego Opera Engage with the San Diego Opera for a dynamic, hands-on experience that brings together storytelling, music, visual art, and STEAM. Through the Words & Music program, you’ll engage in the same creative process students use to transform their ideas and lived experiences into original songs—developing lyrics, shaping narrative, and collaborating through melody and rhythm in ways that connect directly to ELA, music, and social-emotional learning. Then, step into the Opera STEAM Lab, where you’ll build instruments such as pan pipes and rain sticks to explore the science of sound, and design opera-inspired masks that bring visual storytelling, symbolism, and character to life—bridging science, visual arts, theatre, and cultural studies. Participants will leave with adaptable lesson ideas, cross-disciplinary strategies, and project frameworks that can be implemented across grade levels and content areas—whether in arts classrooms or traditional academic settings—empowering students to think creatively, collaborate meaningfully, and connect learning across disciplines.
San Diego Area Writing Project & SDSCPA Writing Department Join the San Diego Area Writing Project, former San Diego Poet Laureate Jason Magabo Perez, and the SDSCPA Creative Writing Department for an interactive experience that explores the power of writing across disciplines. This session invites educators from all content areas to discover how creative writing can be embedded into both artistic and academic settings to deepen thinking, elevate student voice, and increase engagement. Through guided activities and collaborative exploration, participants will experience how writing can serve as a bridge—connecting ideas, disciplines, and perspectives in meaningful and transformative ways.
Old Globe Theater Nurturing the Next Generation of Theatre Artists & Leaders – A Conversation & Tour of The Old Globe. Listen to three of the Old Globe’s leaders—Associate Artistic Director Kim Heil, Director of Arts Engagement Adena Varner, and General Manager Alex Orbovich—as they talk about the Globe’s unique position as one of the largest and most successful theatres in the country, and how arts education and engagement play a significant role in the Globe’s relationship to community. We’ll discuss how schools at all levels can prepare their students for viable and sustainable careers in the arts, and how participation in theatre—whether as an artist or audience member—can help students find their voices and become better advocates for themselves and their communities. Then, join Old Globe docents in a tour of the theatre complex, which includes three theatres, administrative offices, and rehearsal halls on the magnificent grounds of historic Balboa Park!
San Diego Institute of Contemporary Art In this professional development workshop at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) San Diego, educators will learn how to incorporate inquiry-based teaching strategies through a guided exhibition tour, hands-on art making, and a workshop covering practical implementation of arts-based classroom strategies. Teachers will engage first as learners, practicing close looking, open-ended discussion, and creative risk-taking, then reflect on how these strategies translate to their own classrooms, in both arts and academics settings at elementary and secondary levels. We will explore how to incorporate visual thinking strategies (VTS) across subjects, as well as how to scaffold critical thinking and create inclusive spaces for dialogue. Participants will walk away with a new understanding of creating hands-on, project-based learning experiences for all learning styles, as well as practical, classroom-ready tools related to critical thinking, arts integration, and social-emotional learning.
Comic-Con Museum As part of Comic-Con, the world-renowned comics and popular arts convention, Comic-Con Museum is a participatory space focused on celebrating and bringing together diverse audiences for shared vibrant experiences featuring comics, film, television, cosplay, science fiction, fantasy, books, video games, anime, and other related popular arts. With interactive exhibits that are updated regularly, hands-on STEAM based art-making activities, panels, movie screenings, and other dynamic programming, you will always find something new and exciting to explore. The experience includes two options for workshops (select one): Table-Top Game Design: In this workshop, adult learners collaborate with colleagues to conceptualize, design, prototype, test, iterate and reflect on a tabletop board game. Professional learning outcomes include a deeper understanding of the role of academic language and compromise in interest-driven, project-based learning; content knowledge of multimodal storytelling and games as systems; and pedagogical knowledge related to curriculum design for productive failure, constructive feedback and authentic assessment. Participants will leave with a replicable, standards-based project that can be undertaken in almost any context, with any content, as a meaningful pathway to arts integration. Using Community Co-Design to Eliminate Silos and Seed Collaboration: In this workshop, educators and leaders will learn about the practice of co-designing interventions across perceived boundaries in education; whether those barriers are institutional, practical, financial, cultural, historical, and more! Further, members of the Comic-Con Museum Education team will share tips, tricks, and tensions from their own experience of using the development of Comic-Con Education Center as a productive problem space to seed collaboration across our arts-based learning community in San Diego and beyond. Participants will leave with an intellectual community of practice centered on using arts-based curriculum development as a pathway to collaboration across organizational, cultural, and historical divisions.
Chicano Park Museum & Cultural Center Step into one of San Diego’s most powerful cultural landmarks— Chicano Park, a National Historic Landmark and home to the largest concentration of Chicano murals in the world. Spanning seven acres, this vibrant space features more than 100 murals alongside sculpture, gardens, and gathering spaces that tell stories of identity, resistance, and community pride. In partnership with San Diego Unified’s Ethnic Studies Department and the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center, this experience goes beyond a traditional tour. Participants will walk the park with knowledgeable guides, engage directly with artists and community members, and explore the deep cultural and historical significance behind the artwork. The experience culminates in a hands-on art-making session with a Chicano Park Teaching Artist, offering participants the opportunity to reflect, create, and connect their learning to their own practice. Join us to experience the geographic and emotional heart of San Diego, where art is not only seen, but lived, and where creativity continues to bridge history, culture, and community.
SDSCPA Dance Attendees are welcomed into the studio to experience the SDSCPA Dance Department’s curriculum and culture that prepares the dancer to be audition ready for college, conservatory, and professional dance careers. Participants will observe ballet and modern classes in a variety of grade levels to see the results of curriculum across years of study, participate in a talk back session with the faculty and students, and leave with resources to enhance the curriculum, culture, and success of their own arts departments. About SDSCPA Dance Department The SDSCPA Dance program welcomes students of all skill levels at any grade who have the passion to dance. The curriculum is strategically designed to support every student (6th-12th grade) with a defined scope and sequence, curricular and extra-curricular performance opportunities, and culture of care and professionalism. The ballet curriculum is guided by the American Ballet Theater Training program and the modern curriculum includes training in Graham, Horton, and Limón foundational modern dance techniques. The program boasts a breadth of guest artists from local and national dance companies and colleges and ample technical and artistic performances.