Tools for Tomorrow inspires Coachella Valley children’s artistic creativity

In 1999, distinguished artist and author Rachel Druten saw the lack of funding for art and music classes in elementary schools in the valley. Her dream was to reach, teach and inspire valley children through the arts. She founded Tools for Tomorrow (TFT), a free afterschool program to teach creative writing, music, art and drama. Classes were launched in four Desert Hot Springs schools for grades 3-5. As children created works of art or played an instrument for the first time, they gained confidence and self-esteem. Instructors stressed kindness and sensitivity to others, essential life skills and “tools for tomorrow.”

Rachel assembled a diverse board, obtained a “regional access project” grant and recruited learning experts, such as Ed DiNicola, to develop an integrated creative writing, art, music and theater curriculum. TFT expanded to schools across the valley. In 2013, Claire Smith, an early supporter, convinced the board that a fundraising arm was essential to sustain TFT so the Visionaries, a passionate group of donors, was created. The Visionaries have been an integral part of TFT’s successful expansion.