Education Leaders Program / Matt Cauthron
Matt Cauthron
Palm Springs, California
School affiliations
"Creativity is contagious, pass it on.'"
— Albert Eistein
Matt Cauthron runs the Digital Imaging (Di) program at Cathedral City High School’s Digital Arts Technology Academy (DATA). DATA is a California Partnership Academy that was launched in 2001. It has been a model program in arts and technology for the California Department of Education and Apple Education.
His students interact creatively with local, regional, and global communities by:
- Working with professionals in the field and in the Di studio classroom
- Using a variety of professional-level digital tools, including Adobe® Creative Suite® 5 Design Premium
- Visiting local and regional studios, galleries, and museums
- Visiting colleges related to student career pursuits
- Participating in local and national contests and exhibitions
- Collaborating with other schools on global challenges as a Student Creative founder
- Publishing a variety of online content through the Di websites
- Participating in SkillsUSA California
His Di classroom includes tools such as DSLR cameras, Wacom tablets, studio lighting equipment, an animation room, and a 38-seat Mac lab. Cauthron delivers his curriculum via a series of interactive websites to encourage all students to be active and responsible digital citizens. This provides multiple opportunities to share, organize, comment on, and distribute creative content.
Outside the classroom, Cauthron has been an advocate for digital arts education. He is a frequent conference presenter and helps plan the Digital Strand conference for the California Arts Education Association. He also participates in curriculum development for Apple's Challenge Based Learning and serves as a CUE board member.
In addition to his educational roles, Cauthron is an active professional photographer, live music enthusiast, and father of four who lives with his wife in California's Coachella Valley. When not "plugged in" or teaching, he enjoys dragging his children down the dusty roads of the western United States on camping and photography adventures.