SOTA Partners is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, dedicated, quite simply, to helping Tacoma School of the Arts (SOTA) achieve immediate and long-term success. Every Parent of a SOTA student is invited to help us achieve our goals, as are many other “friends” of the school, including teachers, alumni, administrators from the school and the district and leaders from arts, educational and business sectors.

Our board is comprised of equal portions of parents and community partners, including representation from Tacoma’s most prominent cultural institutions, such as founding partners Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, Museum of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum, Washington State History Museum and the University of Washington-Tacoma.

SOTA Partners is not a dues-paying organization. But we are looking for enthusiastic volunteers and financial support, in order that we accomplish our mission!

About Tacoma School of the Arts

Recognized nationally for its innovative small-school approach, SOTA has effectively emphasized partnerships with leading cultural and other community institutions, and encourages direct instruction by professional artists to its students when possible, to further its offerings in the visual and performing arts. A unique and challenging interdisciplinary curriculum, small class sizes, individual attention, and ongoing mentoring groups help contribute to the school’s academic excellence. SOTA’s creative, dedicated administration and faculty, judicious and collaborative use of space and resources in Tacoma’s historic downtown, and a diverse student body from all over the area combine to deliver an exciting school experience and foster a reputation for well-rounded graduates.

Thanks to far-sighted founders like Co-Director Jon Ketler and others in Tacoma’s educational and arts community, which became the Partners, and to the Tacoma School District and organizations like The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation for providing the initial and ongoing funding to implement the founders’ vision, SOTA has established and refined a new standard for public/private partnership, and excellence in education.

The Partners seek to continue this tradition by advocating and raising funds for SOTA’s unique and important programs, and by facilitating the school’s relationships with local, regional and national “friends” and partner institutions.