The Mexican Heritage Plaza (MHP) is a uniquely designed cultural facility located in the Mayfair neighborhood of east San Jose, a predominantly Mexican American neighborhood since the mid-20th Century. The MHP was built by the City of San Jose in 1999 on the site of one of the first grocery store boycotts for farm workers’ rights organized by César Chavez in the 1960s. Guided by an extensive community planning process designed to re-imagine the future of the Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San Jose, the School of Arts and Culture at MHP was created in 2011. The School envisions a world where creativity inspires compassion and vibrant communities. Our mission is to catalyze creativity and empower community. The School offers after-school and summer sessions in visual and performing arts, and it provides a multicultural and intercultural venue for community programs that embrace all cultures while exploring the artistic traditions, cultural history, and contemporary creative expression of Mexican arts. In addition, the School is the home of the Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute, which is a leadership program for people of color engaged in the arts and cultural community.