The nonprofit JDS Creative Academy proudly celebrated its 10th Anniversary Birthday with the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce and a ribbon-cutting ceremony on their expanded facility on Thursday, Aug. 8 in Temecula.
The anniversary theme was a “Decade of Innovation and Creativity.” The ribbon cutting with the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce commenced at 1:30 p.m. and included a meet and greet of the JDS Creative Academy founders Scott and Diane Strand, the staff, and many of the students both past and present. Tours of their new green room, studio, and stage were included along with refreshments, soft drinks, and wines inside the 10,000-square-foot facility.
As a special treat for the guests, JDS students presented a series of sketches and a medley of music and fun on the JDS Creative Stage at the studio, located at 28069 Diaz Road, Suites D.E. and F, in Temecula.
Diane Strand said, “We are celebrating our 10th anniversary. It’s been an amazing 10 years and we’ve grown so much. We started as a small self-funded nonprofit offering visual performing and visual art classes, and then in 2018, we really grew when we started a Title 17 program for adults with developmental disabilities, teaching them video production and multimedia, and now we’ve placed over 12 [individuals] into internships and job opportunities. It does work.”
She went on to say JDS produced the “Spirit of Innovation: Arts Across America,” a television show that broadcasts news and information about Riverside County on Temecula, Murrieta, and Riverside County TV stations and is streamed on Binge Network with 150 platforms nationwide as well as on the Amazon Fire App and Roku.
The JDS Creative Academy has served “hundreds and hundreds” of students in that time according to Strand. The Academy usually has 50 to 75 students for each session. Thirty of those have developmental disabilities and are at the academy 25 hours a week learning video production and multimedia skills. JDS also has extra-curricular classes for musical theater, acting, scriptwriting and filmmaking. Additionally, they put on special public events like the “Haunted Studio” now coming October 25 and 26, which gives the students experience to move into film and theater productions.
During the celebrations, JDS Creative Academy and the Strands were awarded many congratulations and recognition awards from state senators, assembly members, the Chamber of Commerce and the county board of supervisors for their work in helping those with disabilities.
Upcoming events include a JDS Actors Studio Industry Showcase with Workshops on Aug. 28, Sept. 4, 11, & 18 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Included in the fee will be a copy of the best-selling book “Show Business by the Strands.” The Showcase on Sept. 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. will allow the attendees to be in front of SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Franchised Agents and Industry Professionals.
Scholarships for youth, teens, and adults are available, For information see jdscreativeacademy.org or call 951-296-6715. Spirit of Innovation: Arts Across America can be seen on local city television stations, RivCo TV, Binge, and ROKU.
JDS Creative Academy in a nonprofit tax-deductible 501(c)(3).
The Aug. 8 Party & Fundraiser was in support of the nonprofit’s mission “to advance education and training and opportunities in visual, performing, and digital arts.” It offers career pathway training and mainstreaming for those with special needs and other youth, teens, and adults.
Tony Ault can be reached via email at tault@reedermedia.com.
