THE RYMAN-CARROLL FOUNDATION

2024 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS THIS YEAR, RYMAN ARTS EXPANDED ITS COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES AND SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP STUDENTS TRANSITION TO COLLEGE AND BEYOND. IN FALL 2024, 960 STUDENTS, ALUMNI, AND THEIR FAMILIES PARTICIPATED IN THE COLLEGE PREPARATION WEEKEND, A VIRTUAL TWO-DAY EVENT OFFERING 23 SESSIONS. REPRESENTATIVES FROM COLLEGES AND ARTS SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE CONDUCTED PORTFOLIO REVIEWS, ADMISSIONS SESSIONS, AND FINANCIAL AID WORKSHOPS FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, STUDENTS LEARNED FROM VISITING GUEST ARTISTS, INCLUDING ESTABLISHED AND MID-CAREER ARTISTS AND PROFESSIONALS ACROSS A VARIETY OF CREATIVE FIELDS. ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT WAS STRENGTHENED IN 2024 THROUGH THE SPRING CREATIVE CAREERS PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDED 17 VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON EVENTS HELD OVER THE COURSE OF A MONTH. WE DEEPENED RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALUMNI WORKING IN THE CREATIVE WORKFORCE, ADDING A NEW LAYER TO OUR CAREER SERVICES AS THEY SERVED AS ROLE MODELS AND SHARED THEIR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF RYMAN ARTS STUDENTS. SESSION TOPICS RANGED FROM BALANCING A FREELANCE CAREER, TO THEME PARK DESIGN AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING. THE TOTAL ATTENDANCE ACROSS ALL EVENTS WAS 491, INCLUDING STUDENTS, ALUMNI, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS CONTINUED BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUALLY IN 2024. LEVERAGING OUR STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH EDUCATORS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND HIGH SCHOOLS IN LOW-INCOME AREAS, RYMAN ARTS EXPANDED APPLICATION GUIDANCE AND PROGRAM ACCESS TO MORE UNDERSERVED YOUTH AND NEW COMMUNITIES. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED VIRTUAL INFORMATION SESSIONS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES, AS WELL AS PARTICIPATION IN VARIOUS VIRTUAL COMMUNITY EVENTS. WE ALSO CONTINUED OUR MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SANTA ANA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (SAUSD), OFFERING FREE PRESENTATIONS, ON-SITE DRAWING WORKSHOP, TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND CAMPUS VISITS TO CAL STATE FULLERTON, WITH THE GOAL OF CREATING A PIPELINE OF STUDENTS FROM SAUSD SCHOOLS TO THE RYMAN ARTS PROGRAM. OUR COMBINED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING REACHED A TOTAL OF 1,089 PEOPLE IN 2024. DESPITE A CHALLENGING YEARMARKED BY THE ABSENCE OF AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DURING THE FIRST PART OF THE YEAR, OUR DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION TAKING A LEAVE OF ABSENCE, AND THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF OUR CAL STATE FULLERTON CAMPUSRYMAN ARTS REMAINED STRONG. THE DECISION BY CAL STATE FULLERTON WAS SUCCESSFULLY REVERSED THROUGH COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL ADVOCACY EFFORTS, AND THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN RENEWED UNDER A NEW THREE-YEAR AGREEMENT, WITH HOPE OF CONTINUING THE PARTNERSHIP WELL INTO THE FUTURE.