Carver Community Cultural Center/Carver Development Board

Each year over 15,000 San Antonio residents of all ages, backgrounds, means and abilities benefit from the Carver Community Cultural Center’s arts education and outreach programs. In our fee-based classes, over 60% of participants benefit from our financial assistance program, ARTicipate!, which greatly reduces or eliminates costs for qualifying households.

We are asking you to assist the Carver Development Board in its commitment to create affordable opportunities for children, adults, schools and communities to believe, achieve and succeed through access to educational arts and cultural programs.

Your contribution paves the way for more individuals, families and schools to access multicultural, multidisciplinary arts rich experiences, such as the following:

Saturday Semester Classes: Each year, the Carver offers four semesters of performing and visual arts classes.  Each semester consists of eight weeks of high-quality, instruction in various disciplines, such as African drumming, art, ceramics, creative movement, Capoeira, ballet, drawing, yoga and more. Classes are taught by highly-qualified professional artists and there is something for all ages and abilities. Full tuition is only $50 per student, a tremendous value compared to similar classes offered by other organizations. Your contribution allows for households qualifying for the Articipate! program to attend these sessions regardless of ability to pay. 

We hope you will contribute today and join us in providing these opportunities benefiting the individuals, schools and communities that look to us to provide access to deeply engaging, culturally rich and educational arts programming.  

Who We Are

Dear Friends,

Nearly 16,000 children, seniors, and adults benefited from the Carver Community Cultural Center’s arts education programs last year.

Today we’re asking you to assist the Carver Development Board in its commitment to create opportunities for children and communities to believe, achieve and succeed through access to the arts education and cultural programs the Carver offers. All donations raised during the Big Give go towards ensuring our programs and services are accessible to everyone.

The Carver offers affordable, high-quality arts education classes -- eight weeks of instruction by professional artists in the visual and performing arts for just $50 per student, a tremendous value compared to similar classes offered by other organizations. Even at this nominal fee, we recognize this is still a barrier for some families. Through our "ARTicipate" program, we provide financial assistance to families in need to ensure everyone has access to our programs regardless of their ability to pay.

Each 8 week semester offers a variety of classes for individuals of all ages, such as art, ballet, African drumming, Akido, hip hop, cartooning, creative movement, African dance, capoeira, ceramics, acting ad more.

Why is arts education important? There is a proven correlation between a child’s exposure to and involvement in the arts and improved academic achievement in math and reading. Not only that, but those involved in the arts in school are more likely to graduate high school, attend college and become leaders as adults.

Your tax-free contribution will offer free arts and cultural presentations for elementary, middle school and high school students at our monthly Carver Youth Matinees, and give budget-strapped schools transportation reimbursement in order to attend our programs.

You will send guest artists, presenters and art instructors into schools, classrooms and community centers across San Antonio. You will support unique Master Class opportunities with renowned visiting artists, like Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and Hiplet Ballerinas. Your donation will also make our Saturday Semester Classes, Theatre Camp and Dance Intensive accessible to those who could otherwise not participate in our low-cost, fee-based programs.

In a February 6, 2016 San Antonio Express-News editorial, it was reported that 93 percent of San Antonio Independent School District's (SAISD) 53,700 students live in poverty. These statistics have been further exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Carver's location in Dignowity Hills puts us in the heart of the SAISD community and in a position to serve these children and their families through our outreach programs by providing them not only access to our free programs, but with financial assistance to make access to our fee-based classes and summer camps affordable.

We hope you will accept our challenge to contribution to the Carver Development Board to benefit the individuals, families and schools that look to us to provide access to the arts, culture and diversity.