The Arts are streaming through Oak Hill. We believe that our students are unique and creative individuals with difficulties in expressing themselves in typical ways. The Arts provide alternative avenues for them to communicate and "say" what they want to say. Thanks to three generous grants, we are now able to offer our students a range of individualized programs appropriate for their developmental levels: visual arts, drama therapy, percussion and industrial arts. The three programs providing this input of creative inspiration include Youth in Arts, Autistry Studios and Marin Community Foundation through their Living Theatre/Drama funding.

Youth in Arts is the Marin County affiliate of VSA arts California, founded by Jean Kennedy Smith to enable students with disabilities to learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts. VSA stands for Vision, Strength, Accessibility. Three Artist Mentors from Youth in Arts will come to Oak Hill to work with five of our classes.

One of these teachers, Liz Domash, was on the Oak Hill founding staff as Creative Arts Therapist. Liz specializes in activities that enable students to express emotion, develop communication and language skills, increase attention, improve motor skills and enhance self-esteem. In fact, these are goals of arts education generally at Oak Hill. Artist Mentor Julia James encourages students to use their imagination and to find their creative voice, using a variety of media including painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking and mixed media.

William Rossel teaches musicianship and gives students an experience with rhythm and music by playing percussion instruments, working rhythm into the body through drumming, singing, body percussion, and dance/movement. World music is a central theme in his curriculum. Students will participate in songs and movement/rhythm games as an introduction to the sounds, beats and endless possibilities in music.

Industrial Arts

Janet Lawson, an MFT clinician, and her husband astrophysicist Dan Swearingen, help teens with autism and other learning differences become successfully independent by leveraging their interests and talents while creating community. Their Autistry Studios in San Rafael is an amazing real world workshop with state-of-the-art tools. Students will go there weekly and create under the supervision of teachers in tune with the unique characteristics of our students. You can see a video about their Studio here.

Drama Therapy

Liz McDonough, MFT/RDT is the supervising therapist for our psychological clinicians at Oak Hill. Drama Therapy is her first love and she will be applying that skill with our teens in a program that Marin Community Foundation is supporting through their Living Theatre/Drama designated funds.