ASTORIA Ore. (KPTV) - A local program is expanding across the Oregon Coast, bringing arts and STEM education to school districts that are stretched too thin to offer those classes themselves.

Students at Astor Elementary started their very first art class with the help of 3D glasses.

Sitka youth instructor Ally Bruser said, “I really believe in the transformative power of arts, I’m an artist myself and a certified teacher.”

Bruser is joining the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, bringing immersive art education to 17 schools across nine coastal districts.

Astor Elementary teaches kindergarten through second grade and has never had the resources to offer an art program.

“It’s just something they wouldn’t even come close to having without this program,” Astor Elementary School principal Kate Gohr said.

Bruser said she was drawn to Sitka, believing that art in school makes a huge difference socially, academically, and mentally.

“There’s a lot of different ways to express your feelings and the things that you’re going through and art can be a powerful medium for that particularly because there isn’t a right or wrong way to do art, so it’s a very safe and liberating place for children to explore and express their feelings,” said Bruser.

Bruser said the two to three classes she teaches per day are more than just arts and crafts, they are integrated with science, ecology, and contemporary art. On Tuesday, students made their own 3D creations.

“Learning of shapes and lines, and we’re also bringing in the science and the math- what’s 2-dimensional, what’s 3-dimensional?” said Bruser.

One student said, “It feels really, really fun and you get to do cool art.”

Sitka reports around 95% of the students they serve are considered low-income. The program is able to bring art to 5,000 students this school year, which is more than double last year’s 2,000 students.

Thanks to a state grant, Sitka only asks for $4,000 from each school, which Gohr said is a steal.

“There’s no way we could do even a week of an artist in residence…it wouldn’t cover that,” said Gohr.

Gohr said she thinks her students will love the new art classes, and Bruser cannot wait to get to know them. She is excited for her own daughter to start the program in Kindergarten next year.

“It makes me excited to be a part of this community and want to put roots here and be proud of where I live,” said Bruser.

Sitka staff said their new goal is to expand into schools beyond the Oregon Coast.