A Note About My Departure 

Dear Art in Action Community,

I am writing today to announce my departure as Executive Director. As I move on to my next role in my journey of fostering impact, I want to leave you with why I will always be a supporter of Art in Action. I hope to inspire you to do the same.

As the daughter of refugee parents, I was the first to be born in the United States and was raised in an under-resourced area. I carried the burden of cultural assimilation, educational and language barriers, inequity, and bullying. But art saved me. With the self-confidence I developed through creative expression, I went on to become the first Afghan-American to receive a Master’s of Science from Columbia University’s School of Journalism, and as a result have spent years in service of our communities.

When I became Executive Director two years ago, I  saw a vast program being led with heart and might by a small staff and a dynamic Board of Directors. I knew in that moment I wanted to help carry out the mission of ensuring that all children have a quality arts education.

In the last two years, Art in Action’s growth, thanks to our team of staff, board, volunteers, docents, administrators, educators, funders, and supporters, has been monumental in all areas.

We have spoken with hundreds of you and have asked you to help us inform our work. I am proud that the Art in Action model is now premised on community-centric-program creation and delivery. The stories and feedback that we receive inform our constant loop of iterating the next-best-version of ourselves as an organization.

As a result, we have developed new lessons that teach science, technology, engineering and math with an art-forward lens. These lessons are California Arts Standards aligned, National Arts Standards aligned, Next Generation Science Standards aligned, and Common Core aligned. We have also defined and created lessons that teach Cultural Understanding, Healing through Trauma, and Social Justice in response to our educators’ needs in our most underserved areas.

Because we believe in collaborating towards a common goal, we have joined forces with nonprofit and for-profit arts organization's to share common challenges. We have participated in conferences and published papers, and engaged in media campaigns regarding the impact of arts education to empower educators as arts advocates. We know that the more of us who lead the charge to create a level playing field for all children through quality arts education, the more likely children are to succeed and become prepared for jobs of the future.

Life comes full circle. As the amazing Board of Directors with years of commitment to Art in Action supports me in my next stop on my journey of service to our communities, I, too, stand by Art in Action during this transition period, and beyond. I recently learned from one of my elementary school teachers that Art in Action was the art program that gave me the chance to flourish. As I step away as an Executive Director of this life-changing organization, I will be stepping in as a lifelong supporter.

Respectfully,

Mizgon Zahir Darby