It’s National Arts in Education Week!
In 2010 Congress passed House Resolution 275, making the second week of September Arts in Education Week. This is the time to remind elected officials and decision makers in education across the country of the importance of the arts to every child’s development. Research shows integrating the arts with other core academic subjects improves school climate, student motivation and perseverance, and academic achievement in other subject areas—like math and science. Every student has the right to equitable access to the arts throughout their education.
Join us September 13-19 as we celebrate, participate, value, support, and advocate for the arts as a core necessity in education. Your involvement can make a difference.
Take Action
Here are five action-oriented steps you can take. Whether you choose one each weekday, complete the list all at once, or pick and choose, we’ve got some ideas. Throughout the week, the Vermont Arts Council will participate in arts education webinars and twitter chats hosted by Americans for the Arts, share important facts about the state of arts education in Vermont, and shine a spotlight on the teaching artists, arts educators, and arts education programs in our state each day on social media. We will also contact state education leaders and decision makers to advocate for stronger support for the arts as a core part of a child’s education.
1. Celebrate
Share a story about an arts educator who made a difference in your life at the dinner table or a lunch meeting. Get online: Download the logo on AFTA’s National Arts in Education Week page and change your profile picture on Facebook. Share a child’s artwork using the hashtags #ArtsEdWeek and #vted on Twitter or Instagram.
2. Participate
Join Americans for the Arts and special guests for a twitter #ArtsEdChat during Arts Education Week from 8-9 p.m. ET. Contribute your ideas and learn from others. Invite someone who isn’t in the arts community to join the conversation to learn more. Americans for the Arts has invited Erika Lowe, our arts education programs manager to be a guest tweeter on Monday and Wednesday. And…keep a look out for other surprise guest tweeters from Vermont!
• Monday, September 14 – Arts Integration (#ArtsIntegration)
• Tuesday, September 15 – Creative Youth Development (#CYD)
• Wednesday, September 16 – STEAM (#STEAM)
• Thursday, September 17 – Arts Education Standards (#Standards)
3. Value
Watch Encourage Creativity: Teach the Arts (7 minutes), and then share it with others to bring awareness to the cause. Take children to an art museum, performance, or event this week. Browse ArtsEdSearch to learn how Vermont values the arts. Read the research on arts education, then contact your principal or local school board members to share your findings.
4. Support
Write a thank you letter to an arts educator or artist who has made a difference in your life and send it. Give art supplies to a school or community organization that works with children. Make a donation to an arts education program at a local museum, school, or organization.
5. Advocate
Did you know that Vermont is one of the few states that does not have an arts content specialist at the Agency of Education and has not yet adopted core state arts standards? The Council is working to bring awareness to these concerns (as identified through the work laid out in the Vermont Arts Council’s Arts Education Action Plan and conclusions drawn from several convenings held in the past year). Your voice can strengthen this message. Use the Council’s Action Center to share your thoughts with elected officials at the state and federal level.
For the first time in ten years, Congress is acting on education. You can learn more about how this affects arts education on ArtsBlog this week.