Karlee Skipper
Special to Valley News
2024 has been a year of milestones and the fostering of creativity for JDS Creative Academy (JDSCA). Through its Title-17 job training program, extracurricular classes, and engaging community events, the organization has solidified its role as a leading force in the Inland Empire’s creative scene.
The year kicked off with a major rebranding of the nonprofit’s magazine-style news and information television show. The title and messaging shifted from Spirit of Innovation: News & Information to its reimagined name, Spirit of Innovation: Arts Across America, reflecting JDSCA’s mission to spread the Arts Across America while continuing to share important impactful stories from within Riverside County. The show also launched a new segment, The Community Roundtable, where local business owners and nonprofit leaders gather to discuss key issues affecting the community and beyond. The program’s ratings have surged, and it now reaches an even wider audience, beyond its local broadcast reach, social media, show website, and YouTube. It is now streamed across Binge Network’s 150 platforms, Tubi TV, and apps like Amazon Fire and Roku.
In April, JDSCA hosted the eighth annual DigiFest Temecula festival, a multimedia event that brings the world of digital arts and Hollywood to the region, drawing in visitors from across the country. DigiFest 2025 is already underway, with early submissions open now through January 31, 2025. Mark your calendars for the ninth annual three-day event on April 25, 26, and 27, 2025!
JDSCA’s spring showcase highlighted the semester’s creative talent! The weekend transported the audience to “Over the Rainbow” with its musical theater production of The Wizard of Oz, while the filmmaking class showcased their student-created films on the big screen. The nonprofit also held its annual two-week script-to-stage summer camp, allowing participants to explore every aspect of theater production, from scriptwriting and set building to creating a spectacular original production and performance.
In August, JDSCA commemorated a major milestone—its 10th anniversary. Over 200 guests joined the nonprofit to celebrate the organization’s impact over the past decade. The studio’s musical theater and acting students performed emotional skits with an amusing medley that showcased JDSCA’s 10 years of creativity.
Soon after, the fall creative classes began, kicking off the start of a new semester of scriptwriting, filmmaking, and musical theater. The backstage production class not only contributed to sets, props, and costumes for The Addams Family: School Edition, but they also teamed up with the Design / Build / HAUNT class to create the annual Haunted Studio Fundraiser, transforming JDS Studio into a haunted library that brought spooky stories to life.
In addition to serving its students, JDSCA continues to make a positive impact in the community, donating over $10,000 annually to scholarship and local nonprofits, as well as ensuring the arts remain accessible to all at JDS Creative Academy. You can support their mission by attending performances, participating in or attending DigiFest 2025, tuning into Spirit of Innovation: Arts Across America, and engaging with the organization on social media. You can also collaborate and donate to help support their mission, which includes providing creative career opportunities to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, resulting in a more inclusive workforce.
As 2024 comes to a close, JDSCA is excited for the future. With plans to move the Arts Across America already in place for 2025, the nonprofit is gearing up for another incredible year of growth, creative expression, and community impact.
About JDS Creative Academy
JDS Creative Academy is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization based in Temecula, California, and hosts DigiFest Temecula. The organization is dedicated to inspiring, educating, and enhancing achievement in video production and workforce development. With a focus on visual, performing, and digital arts, JDS Creative Academy offers programs for youth, teens, adults, and mainstream and special needs populations to foster an inclusive environment. For more information, visit www.jdscreativeacademy.org or call JDS Studio at 951-296-6715.
