Young Audiences of San Jose and Silicon Valley was founded in 1968, and ever since, has helped area schools blend artistry with the regular curriculum. "We want to make arts an essential part of every young person's education," says Christina Goodney, the group's executive director.

Young Audiences acts as an intermediary between schools and artists, making performances and seminars available for students at reduced prices.

Eaton Elementary School in Cupertino is one school that often partakes of the group's offerings.

"Young Audiences always provides a quality program. They screen their presenters very well," says Bonnie Merrick, a second-grade teacher at Eaton.

Merrick was one of several teachers who transferred to Eaton when it reopened six years ago and outlined a number of new priorities for the school. The list included an arts program with a multicultural emphasis. Since then, Eaton has held assemblies with Chinese, Russian and Indian dancers, scheduled with the aid of Young Audiences. "We try to showcase arts that we don't feature," Merrick says. "Most people wouldn't take their kids to that kind of performer."

Young Audiences recruits its performers in the community, but also holds auditions for anyone from musicians to visual artists. That's how Mara Beckerman of Sunnyvale joined Young Audiences in 1989. She had just moved to the area and immediately entered their ranks with her brand of musical storytelling. "I enjoy it so much, thank God," she says.

Beckerman has also performed for Young Audiences through its residency program, where artists work with students in class over a period of time to prepare a final product or performance.

Oak Ridge Elementary in San Jose has served as Beckerman's laboratory for a number of years. One project tapped into reports the youngsters were writing about their ancestry. From the reports, Beckerman crafted a script that the children performed complete with singing and handmade sets. "There was one little boy from Vietnam who wasn't talking much when we started, but he ended up doing a big solo," she says. "Those kids came alive."

Young Audiences provides steady business for artists like Beckerman, which helps in a hyper-competitive market. "They've really kept me afloat all these years," she says. But in addition, the group helps keep arts in cash-strapped schools. "This year, we're mostly working in middle- to upper-income areas," Goodney says. "But we're also working on getting some grants to subsidize low-income schools where parents can't necessarily pitch in."

At Eaton, the finances still warrant the involvement of Young Audiences. "We're fortunate that we have parents who come in committed to having these kinds of performances," Merrick says. Eaton's Parent-Teacher Organization provides funds that the Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation matches, and parents pay a classroom fee that also defrays costs.

"Teachers are picky, so it has to be something that really grabs the students," she says. "My kids have written letters to the performers, and they've always been positive."