Today, parents and educators alike are growing increasingly concerned as funding for the arts continues to be rolled back in local schools.

In fact, according to Americans for Arts, approximately 66% of public school teachers have said that they feel art is among one of several areas being “crowded out” by an increased emphasis on other academic subjects.

Consequently, Global Outreach Charter Academy (GOCA) has sought to remedy this change in the academic landscape and is now proud to announce the establishment of GOCA Arts in Duval County!

Our team broke ground on developing the new campus on Jan. 2, 2023. The completion date for the property is currently projected to be Jan. 2, 2024, with enrollment opening soon after.

Additionally, as GOCA Arts will be located in the Town Center, we have designed it to have more windows than any other school in Jacksonville in order to look more like a high-end office building than a campus.

That being said, it is worth repeating that GOCA Arts is designed to foster an education that blends the arts and core academic subjects, specifically for students in grades K through 8. With this in mind, we have ensured that its campus will provide several unique features compared to its local counterparts.

Namely, students will have access to…

• Visual arts classrooms

• Performing arts classrooms

• An orchestra room

• Private practice studios

• And more

And one of the features we are most excited about? A slide from the second floor to the first floor for students and teachers to use as a reward for student achievement!

"We are excited about continuing the great arts tradition in Jacksonville,” said GOCA CEO Ilya Soroka. “GOCA Arts is looking to open the world of Global Arts to each student that walks through its door.”

You might be wondering: Of all the fields we could have chosen as the focus of our newest school, why the arts?

Because not only have studies proven that the arts help to foster creativity, but they also encourage problem-solving skills — both of which are essential for success in any field.

What’s more, “the arts, with their strong emphasis on team building and self-reflection, are supremely suited to re-ignite students’ interest in learning through collaboration, while simultaneously fostering creativity, critical thinking, and communication,” according to the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA).

Despite this, Florida is one of the states that does not define “the arts in statute or code as a core or academic subject.”

GOCA Arts hopes to fill that gap for young students in Jacksonville.

Ultimately, education in the arts helps to create an environment that is inspiring, fun, and stimulating — one that will benefit young students now and long into their future!

And as all students deserve equal access to this extraordinary form of education, parents can trust that their students will not be required to audition in order to enroll with our arts school.

While GOCA Arts itself is not currently open, we invite you to learn more about GOCA and our charter school’s academic philosophy by reaching out to our team today!