Our apologies, we are long-winded people. Of course we want you to read our giant plea for tuition, but understand if you are lacking the time. Here's the quick and easy version:

• Emma will be a sophomore at Idyllwild Arts Academy this school year
• She is on partial scholarship
• She is an extremely talented artist and designer
• Single mom does everything she can to keep Emma in school, but it costs a lot of money
• We are asking for help in raising her tuition costs
• What else are we asking? Keep this campaign going, whatever isn't spent this year will go into her Idyllwild account for next year – and it'd be a great feeling to be in the black heading into Junior year
• If for no other reason, in today's climate, art is more important than ever

• You can make a donation directly to the school and ask that it be credited towards Emma Steel's account, or donate here and it will be deposited directly into our PayPal account, and we will forward it to Idyllwild.

  Idyllwild Arts Academy: Finance Office, Meagan Greene, (951) 659-2171 Ext. 2210

Emma's Words:

Idyllwild Arts first entered my life as a topic of conversation between me and some art friends, and soon it became my reality. Before I knew it I was attending a campus visit and meeting people who would soon become my closest friends. I applied; on March 10th, 2016, I arrived home from school and my mom told me I had been accepted to Idyllwild on scholarship. I dropped to the floor in tears of happiness because this school is everything I had ever worked for. This school was about to become my life for the next four years.

Idyllwild has helped me achieve amazing things. I’ve done three fashion shows, been invited to senior critique twice, modeled for multiple photographers for their projects, just to name a few. The way that Idyllwild helps young artists flourish is incredible. With intensive hours situated in a peaceful environment (with some underlying chaos), the students develop their talents in ways they never could in an ordinary school; I feel like I can achieve anything there. They keep close watch on students to make sure their main focus is their art and academics, but that doesn’t even begin to express how truly motivated the community is. At Idyllwild, I’ve met such remarkable people who would give anything for their art, and I can say I am one of those people.

The teachers are the most inspiring people. Many of them are alumni, and they understand what it’s like to have such an intensive environment. The campus is located high in the San Jacinto Mountains, an hour outside of Palm Springs, and many of the faculty lives there with the students. This close environment allows a student to be on a first name basis, drop-in anytime to ask them questions, and really get to know them as people. My favorite class this year was my painting class. I had a really good connection with my teacher who has helped me work through some of my deepest moments; he has taught me about the bigger picture and the reality of things.

In my fashion classes, we had free reign over our projects, and were given complete creative control over the shows. I was part of the intermediate sewing class having already known how to sew and make patterns etc., and I will be a part of the advanced sewing class as a sophomore next year (a bit of bragging, I will be the only sophomore in advanced design and sewing). My drawing class helped me grow technically as an artist. Idyllwild understands how to reiterate practice rather than knowing the actual mechanics of things. Because of that, we get to develop our own styles and become truly unique as artists. While most schools tend to teach the fundamentals instead of giving practice. And now having finished my freshman year with flying colors, it would mean even more to me if I could return. If I could return to my art teachers (my favorite one being Kyle Thomas, my painting teacher), my extraordinary and supportive friends, my crusty old dorm, and most importantly, the Idyllwild Arts campus itself.

The opportunities Idyllwild created for me in just a single year are immeasurable. I have met people from all over the world, with a great deal of my friends and fashion classmates being from Hong Kong; I would like to travel there next summer. In addition, I have summer programs that are open to me that otherwise wouldn’t be, e.g., The Art Institute in Chicago has a program for high school art students that I plan on applying to in January. I have taken master classes from some of the top names in the industry, and frequently go to Los Angeles to study art at the Museum of Contemporary Art and The Getty.

Before Idyllwild, I didn’t know in which direction I would go; I knew I would go to college but I didn’t have a true focus. Idyllwild has helped me discover my goals, and what I want to do with my life. Regardless of what path I choose, I want to hold onto my integrity as an artist and be the best person I can be. That’s my biggest goal as of now. Not only to discover my style, but to use my life, and my observations about life, as inspiration for my art. I want to immerse myself into culture and literature to become liberally educated in classical ways of thinking. Just these few short-term goals will help me refine my bigger, long-term goals.

I am so grateful for this opportunity because it’s something that only 310 kids have. When I was at public school, everyday I heard people talk about how much they hate school, that thought never crosses my mind when I am at Idyllwild. I am forever grateful to the people who have made this education possible for me. I am so proud to call myself a student of Idyllwild Arts.

Mom's Elevator Speech:

Idyllwild Arts is one of the most prestigious arts-based high schools in the country. It is nestled up in the San Jacinto mountains in southern California, three hours outside of Los Angeles, sandwiched in between Palm Springs and Joshua Tree. It is serene and beautiful; a perfect place to study art.

I never quite understood how important Idyllwild was to Emma, until she would return home from breaks. She had friends in Boulder, but she didn’t have friendships like the ones she had developed at Idyllwild. She had art classes in Boulder, but she didn’t have art classes that challenged and pushed like her classes at Idyllwild. She was always strong and independent, but at Idyllwild those attributes became polished.

Not every kid is meant for an environment like the one at Idyllwild Arts; she begins class at 9am, and sometimes doesn't finish until after 7pm. They have class M-F, Saturday mornings, and then back in study hall on Sunday night. A lot of kids couldn't handle the intensity of Idyllwild, but Emma seems to flourish the more she is challenged. She found her voice and passion in her art; she came away from her first year more confident and talented.

Emma is on a partial scholarship at Idyllwild, but it is still a very expensive school. Keeping her at Idyllwild is my priority, but it is difficult. As a single parent, I am only able to do so much. I had an accident earlier in the year that took me out of my main source of income, which is being a sommelier. At this time, we do not know when, if ever, I'll open another bottle of wine. We need to raise money for her sophomore year or else she will lose her scholarship. It would be the biggest gift in the world if we could have a majority of her year paid for by October 1, so that I would not incur any interest on the remaining tuition.

Specifically, we'd love to find 6 people to donate $3000 each by September 1, 2017, and then another 4 people by October 1, 2017. An additional $5,000 is needed come March 30, 2018 to reserve her Junior spot. Our overall goal is $35,000.

You can make a donation directly to the school and ask that it be credited towards Emma Steel's account, or donate here and it will be directly deposited into our PayPal account, and we will forward it to Idyllwild.

Idyllwild Arts Academy: Finance Office, Meagan Greene, (951) 659-2171 Ext. 2210