Mariposa’s Art is an innovative non-profit organization that provides after-school art and music programs, community workshops, and mural painting programs that focus on developing leadership skills and addressing key health issues. Mariposa’s Art was founded in July of 1998 to provide after-school art and music programs to students in need of healthy alternatives to gangs, drugs, and other high-risk behaviors. Mariposa’s Art has served over 3,300 at-risk youth primarily in East San Jose, Santa Cruz, and Watsonville, California. STS9 donates a portion of each ticket sale to assist Mariposa’s Art, the most recent focus being on the ‘Guitar Teach’ program. In this program, high school guitar players engage in an intensive teacher training and then travel to elementary and middle schools and teach guitar to students after-school This opportunity provides high school youth not only the pride and excitement of a paid job, but also a window into the experience of teaching as a career. Elementary and middle school students are delighted to have high school role models and to have the opportunity to learn how to play the guitar. A portion of each sts9 ticket sale enables all participating students are able to earn their own guitar through this program. When the students commit to practicing three times a week and participating in the performances at the end of each semester, they will earn a guitar of their own.

High school students receive minimum wage pay for their internship, earn five elective credits, and provide service to elementary and middle school sites that are sorely lacking in music programs. For the first six weeks of the program, the high school students engage in teacher training and curriculum development. For the remaining twelve weeks of the program, students travel to the elementary school sites and teach rhythm games, music theory, and guitar. mariposasart.org