John F.Kennedy said, "all of us do not have equal talents, but all of us should have an opportunity to develop our talents." The Arroyo Vista Children's Theater has provided the opportunity for thousands of children and adults to be creative and artisitic using talents and gifts to enrich their lives those of their audiences. Kennedy also said, "the life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of a nation, is close to the center of a nation's purpose-and is a test of the quality of a nation's civilization." Arroyo Vista Children's Theater passes the test with flying colors! Congratulations!

We have heard a lot about the students affected by the achievement gap. Dr. Jackson’s, your work gives us hope that if we change our expectations of students they can and do achieve. If we expect more and believe that students will reach their goals no matter what their social status is, we are saying to those students that we believe in you. Thanks, Dr. Jackson for believing that, “YES THEY CAN!”