National Blue Ribbon Schools Program

The Folk Arts-Cultural Treasures Charter School (FACTS) is a mouthful to say. So what's behind the name? We begin our mission statement with a quote from Grace Lee Boggs - "Giving meaning to the lives of our children in the present while preparing them to become active citizens in a democratic society." At FACTS, we use folk arts and folk arts education as a catalyst for critical inquiry and community engagement. Some students have a wealth of community-based knowledge and ways of knowing, but in school they may not have an access point for demonstrating the kinds of knowledge they possess. When we invite community knowledge into the school, we can help students access school ways-of-knowing, demonstrate what they know, and see connections to their own experiences.

Our cultural treasures are all of the people who make up our school - students, families, community members, folk artists/educators, staff and teachers. We ask our students, staff, and families to bring all of who they are to help form the social and cultural fabric of the school. This builds and sustains our strong, thoughtful and caring community. We believe that the social-emotional components in schools are equally important to the academics; we intentionally weave these into our daily schedule and professional development trainings. FACTS is a grassroots school organized by the very community we serve. We educate with a social justice lens. We listen with our hearts; we voice ourselves with pride and purpose; and we equip students to do the same.