Charter High School of the Arts

Coordinates: 34°11′49″N 118°26′55″W / 34.19694°N 118.44861°W / 34.19694; -118.44861

Charter High School of the Arts Multimedia and Performing (usually noted as CHAMPS) is a public high school that operates on the campus of the First Lutheran Church of Van Nuys. It is located at 6952 Van Nuys Boulevard, in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California. Though it shares the facilities with the Lutheran Church, the activities are different. It is operated as a Charter High School.^[1]

Dr. Norman Isaacs began CHAMPS high school in 2005. Before becoming the founder of CHAMPS, Dr. Isaacs worked as the principal of Robert A. Millikan Middle School Performing Arts Magnet in Sherman Oaks. CHAMPS was founded in order to create a high school where students could receive both a rigorous curriculum in both academics and fields pertaining to the arts. The school features a diverse staff of teachers, many of whom come from performing and media arts backgrounds. These have included Otis and Kyme Sallid, Vince Campi, Nancy Aldrich, Brad Koepenick, Stephen Day, Donovan Glover, and Frank Becker.^[2]

The school specializes in performing and digital media arts. It is the only arts high school that allows students to study there from any district within the Los Angeles County. Students who want to enroll in a specific academy (dance, music, drama, media arts, or robotics) need to audition to get in. Each academy has a separate audition process and students can only audition for one. Enrolled students can change into a different academy with the approval of the department chairs and counselors.

CHAMPS has been a high school since September 2005. The school now consists of 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. The first graduating class (2009) has moved on to various universities throughout the country including NYU, UCLA, and USC.

References

1. ^ Blume, Howard (2008-04-26). "L.A. Unified is rethinking offers of space". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/26/local/me-charters26. Retrieved 2010-08-31. 
2. ^ "CHAMPS Charter High School of the Arts Presents 'Cyrano De Bergerac'". American Towns. 2010-05-04. http://www.americantowns.com/ca/vannuys/news/champs-charter-high-school-of-the-arts-presents-cyrano-de-bergerac-298399. Retrieved 2010-08-31. 

External links

• CHAMPS: Charter High School of the Arts Multimedia and Performing