Case Study: Burbank Elementary School achieves improved academic outcomes and empowers student expression with Adobe creative software

Burbank Elementary School, supporting successful and skilled students

Burbank Elementary School in Hayward, CA, serves a diverse, dual-language community and faced the challenge of helping students express ideas, gain exposure to industry-standard creative tools, and narrow the achievement gap. Art Specialist Robert Hoang aimed to use visual arts to build communication skills, boost engagement, and introduce technology early in students’ development.

With software donated through the White House ConnectED initiative, Hoang integrated Adobe Photoshop Elements, Premiere Elements, Presenter, and Captivate into art lessons—projects included Warhol-inspired pop art and typographic portraits. The program empowered students to communicate visually, increased familiarity with professional creative tools, encouraged deeper learning, and helped narrow the achievement gap through regular, technology-enhanced art education.

Burbank Elementary School

Robert Hoang

Art Specialist, Burbank Elementary School