Parents and Supporters of the Arts (PASTA) includes the director of the Art & Music Department of the Danbury Public Schools and representatives from public elementary schools. Members meet about two times annually to discuss the type of programs that the schools would like to have in the coming year. Attendance at the meeting is not necessary for participation in the program. Participation in PASTA is often done by telephone. Willing members previewed performers at other schools or in showcases around the tri-state area and report back to the group on their findings.

The goal of PASTA was to create a cooperative buying guild among the public elementary schools that would bring quality cultural programs for children to our schools at a reasonable cost. Performers are willing to reduce their fees according to the number of performances in one area. PASTA previews programs, negotiates fees, schedules performances and applies for outside funding. Working as a group, PASTA is able to bring in excellent quality programs at affordable prices. In choosing programs, PASTA attempts to expose Danbury's very diverse student population to the many different art forms representing their native lands.

PASTA also extends an invitation to all parents to come see a performance in their children's schools. The more often parents can visit their children's schools, the more comfortable they will be participating in their education.

Danbury parents have always informally shared resources for cultural programs. PASTA enabled them to tap into new financial and informational sources and eliminate the repetition of many people doing the same job in different schools.

Program funding has come from the PTOs' individual budgets, from grant opportunities such as the Connecticut Commission on the Arts and from the Danbury Board of Education budget.

PASTA books two programs in every school yearly. Schools with further available funds also share resources and book programs. Prior to the formation of PASTA, there was an uneven commitment to the arts in the Danbury schools. Schools with a parent who had a strong interest in the arts had regularly scheduled arts programs. Schools without a committed parent did not. Working alone, PTOs paid high prices for an individual performance. Also they did not have the ability to preview programs and as a result sometimes had performers who did not engage, educate, and entertain the students.

The feedback from the volunteers involved in PASTA has been that PASTA has been an excellent resource, saving its participants' time, energy and money. The citywide Parent Teacher Organization has been asked to coordinate PASTA. They are currently considering this role.

This project has had few obstacles. All participants have felt it was a win-win situation for everyone involved. The challenge will be to find someone willing to take on the difficult job of scheduling programs in 11 schools.

Danbury's children have been exposed to a wide variety of art forms that they would normally not have the opportunity to experience. The schools all receive an even level of arts programming and performances to ensure that all of Danbury's children receive that education.