Emerging Artists | Leaders | Scholars

CANVAS (CCA’s Advanced Network for Visionary Artists and Scholars) is a leadership development and mentorship program for the talented and historically under-represented incoming students receiving the Visionary Practice Scholarship. It begins with an immersive full year program that affords participants an advanced opportunity to engage with the people, departments and resources that will help them navigate their collegiate experience effectively and emerge as campus leaders. Throughout the year, students will participate in CANVAS focused courses, workshops and events; building community with each other and meaningful relationships with faculty and program staff. The CANVAS program helps students build soft skills, develop friendships, learn more about their campus community, and become acquainted with campus departments and resources. Workshop opportunities help participants build essential skills that will facilitate their success at CCA.

Formerly CCA’s Artist’s Network Valuing Aspiring Scholars, or CANVAS for short, launched in Fall 2018 with a group of 23 new students from all over the country. The CANVAS Program was offered to first-year freshmen recipients of one of the college’s Diversity Scholarships, as a means of supporting their academic success in addition to the financial support provided via the scholarship.

CANVAS was a three-day immersive program which provided participants an advanced opportunity to engage with the people, departments and resources that we know help students navigate their collegiate experience effectively.

The CANVAS program currently consists of the following components for all participants:

• Enrollment in the CANVAS Course Grasping at the Root: Advancing Creative Excellence taken for an additional 1.5 units each Fall and Spring and satisfying the Critical Ethnic Studies Seminar Requirement a full year earlier.
• An opportunity to build community and support systems with other students, faculty, and staff.
• Targeted workshops that will address important tools necessary for a smooth start to your first year in college.
• Academic enrichment opportunities, community building activities, leadership experiences, and exposure to campus life.
• Ongoing support throughout the academic year and additional opportunities to interact with your cohort.

CANVAS is co-curricular program coordinated by Academic Affairs with strong support and collaboration from the following offices and departments:

• Academic Program Advising & Planning
• Critical Ethnic Studies
• Financial Aid Office
• Humanities & Sciences Division
• Office of Student Belonging and Inclusion
• Office of the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
• Provost Office
• Student Accounts
• Student Services Ask Team

Feel free to email canvas@cca.edu for questions about the program.