In 1998, Founder Rachel Druten, gathered a group of educational experts in the fields of writing, drama, music and art to develop a literacy-based curricula for grades 3 through 5. The program was implemented four afternoons a week in four Desert Hot Springs elementary schools. 

By 2003, TFT had expanded into Desert Sands Unified School District and by 2007, TFT programs were serving students in the Coachella Valley Unified School District.  In 2017, TFT introduced it’s first Musical Theater Program. During the 2019/2020 academic year, TFT served 14 Title I schools throughout the Coachella Valley.

On March 13, 2020, schools were shut down and TFT programs were suspended. TFT pivoted and in the Fall of 2020, more than 300 children from 20 different Coachella Valley schools joined our teaching artists online for “hands-on” experiences. Each child received their own Art Kit to use at home, and teachers incorporated social emotional learning to ensure that each child was acknowledged and seen. 

In 2021, Jaime Bikis, Supervisor for Expanded Learning Programs at Desert Sands USD recognized TFT Programs as “a key component in assisting our students back into the  classroom” and invited TFT into their After School Education and Safety (ASES) programs. While other organizations and volunteers were not able to go onto school campuses, TFT teaching artists streamed into the classrooms to bring the arts to the children.

In 2022, TFT was invited to become a part of the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) making TFT’s after-school Creative Clubs available to all third, fourth and fifth grade students at 10 DSUSD schools. TFT was also invited back into the classrooms through PSUSD, serving 18 schools in person, including a theatre program, and continuing to host 3 online programs. 

In 2023, TFT introduced it’s first summer program at the Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City serving 66 students.

Last year (2023-24) TFT reached more than 1,200 students in the Coachella Valley through twenty-seven schools – all 15 PSUSD elementary schools and 12 DSUSD Schools. Every child who participated in a TFT program received a free Art Kit.

This year TFT will return to Palm Springs and Desert Sands Unified Schools with our Creative Clubs and Theater Programs. TFT is also expanding our Community Programs to work with the Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City during the academic year, Olive Crest, Hanson House, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Tools For Tomorrow provides free after-school Creative Clubs and Theater Programs, combining the visual arts, music appreciation, creative writing, and theater games. Each class offers hands-on creative experiences that encourage children’s artistic self-expression.

Tools For Tomorrow is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, governed by a Board of Directors and financially supported by the Tools For Tomorrow VISIONARIES membership; fundraising events; grants; personal and community donations; and in-kind services.