[Graphic: Organizational Chart]

Lead Education Agency:
Los Angeles Unified School Disctrict (LAUSD)
The Los Angeles Unified School District is the nation's second largest district, with a K-12 student enrollment of more than 746,800. Geographically, it encompasses 704 square miles, an area that includes the City of Los Angeles and all or parts of 28 other cities, as well as some unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Leo Politi Elementary School is part of Local District 4.

Coordinating Partner:
Center for Media Literacy
A pioneer in its field, the Center for Media Literacy (CML) is a nonprofit educational organization that provides leadership, public education, professional development and educational resources nationally. Dedicated to promoting and supporting media literacy education as a framework for accessing, analyzing, evaluating and creating media content, CML works to help citizens, especially the young, develop critical thinking and media production skills needed to live fully in the 21st century media culture. The ultimate goal is to make wise choices possible. Incorporated in 1989, CML is an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

Music Center Education Division
Founded in 1964, the Music Center ranks with New York's Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. as one of the three largest performing arts centers in the United States. It consists of four theatres — the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theatre, and the new, Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall. Each year more than 1.3 million people attend events at the Music Center, including performances by its four internationally acclaimed resident companies — the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Opera, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale — as well as presentations by distinguished dance ensembles and other touring companies.

The Music Center founded its Education Division (MCED) in 1979. Today the MCED's mission is 1) to support the Center's commitment to engaging people in the arts — at the Center, in schools, and throughout the community and 2) to strengthen the education of children through the arts. Through programs for students, professional development services for teachers, and arts curriculum materials, the MCED supports the school community's initiatives to build standards-based, sequential arts education. A roster of more than 100 professional artists and performing ensembles participates in the MCED's services. During the 2002-2003 academic year, the MCED partnered with more than 500 Southern California schools.

AnimAction, Inc.
AnimAction gives young people (K-12 grade) the opportunity to experience the joys of collaboration and creativity all through the medium of animation production. Since 1989, they have trained thousands of students throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia helping kids to animate their world.

Student-produced animated PSA's from AnimAction workshops have been shown all around the world on Network TV, in cinemas, schools, hospitals and on Web sites. They have been award finalists in international animation festivals, competing side by side with industry leaders. AnimAction filmmakers learn how to work together as a team, meeting challenges, making deadlines, and solving real world problems.

AnimAction staff are also expert trainers preparing teachers with 21st Century skills and bringing this exciting world of media production to their students in the classroom.