The program brings free arts education for thousands of rural students in Title 1 Oregon schools.
With a new school year just about to get underway, Sitka’s K-8 Create program is meeting growing demand for high-quality arts education in Oregon coastal communities with little to no arts access. During the 2026–2027 school year, K-8 Create will serve thousands of children each month in Title I public schools in Lincoln, Tillamook and Clatsop Counties.
The program is part of the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology’s youth program that provides arts and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) learning experiences, widely enhancing educational opportunities for rural and underserved children and expanding access for Oregon students.
Sitka Center for Art and Ecology Executive Director, Alison Dennis, is passionate about growing the program: “By partnering with local schools, we’re able to reach thousands of students who might not otherwise have access to the arts, fostering curiosity and creativity among the next generation of rural artists and innovators.”
In Sitka’s rural coastal community, all public schools are Title I and have limited or no arts education. Sitka created K-8 Create to fill that gap, bringing high-quality art and ecology programming to local youth. 95% of participating students come from low income families, qualifying for free or reduced school meals under federal guidelines.
The Title 1 schools participating in the program stretch from Astoria in the north to Waldport in the south. All nine school districts across the region participate, including Astoria, Warrenton-Hammond, Jewell, Knappa, Seaside, Neah Kah Nie, Tillamook, Nestucca Valley, and Lincoln County school districts.
K-8 Create is now benefitting from a $50,000 challenge grant from the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund—gifts to K-8 Create will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $2,500 per gift—until the $50,000 goal is reached. That means giving can go twice as far to support free, high-quality arts education, multiplying the program’s impact.
About K-8 Create:
The Sitka Youth Program’s K-8 Create provides arts and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) education for Oregon Pre-K through 8th grade students, with limited or no access to art programs. By partnering directly with schools and educators to address barriers to arts education unique to rural Oregon, the Sitka Center and K-8 Create are on a mission to close arts education access gaps across the coast and state. The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to expanding the relationships between art, nature and humanity.
To learn more, visit www.sitkacenter.org.
