March is Arts Education Month
In celebration of March as Arts Education Month we encourage all elected officials to participate with their educational communities in celebrating the arts with meaningful activities and programs for pupils, teachers, and the public that demonstrate learning and understanding in the visual and performing arts. For ideas go to the California Alliance for Arts Education web site. Go to: http://www.artsed411.org/action_center.
Celebrating Arts Learning in California Schools Luncheon
Luncheon and Discussion with state – regional – and Parent arts education leaders
in honor of
March as Arts Education Month
Hosted by
California State PTA
and the
California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA) Arts Initiative
In celebration of March as Arts Education Month, state, regional, and parent arts education leaders will be convening with policy-makers in Sacramento to discuss why arts learning is so important for 21st Century student success. Join us for lunch, presentations, and round table discussions to explore ways to promote quality, equity, and access for learning in the visual and performing arts as part of the core curriculum. Date: March 14, 2012
Time: 12:00 noon—2:00 p.m.
Location: Sierra Health Foundation 1321 Garden Highway, Sacramento, CA
Phone: 916.446.3095 Email: cridley@ccsesa.org
Limited seating, so reserve your seat today!
Arts learning is essential for a complete education that prepares children for success in school, work and life.
Target Offers Grants to Schools
Target is offering Arts and Culture in Schools Grants to help schools bring more arts and culture into the classroom, enabling them to expand their creativity and horizons. The grant awards are $2,000 each, with an application deadline of April 30. For more information, go to: http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031819
Arts Advocacy Day 2012
Americans for the Arts will celebrate 25th annual Arts Advocacy Day on April 16-17 in Washington, D.C. This national event brings together a broad cross section of America’s cultural and civic organizations, along with hundreds of grassroots advocates from across the country, to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating public funding for the arts.
STEAM: Experts Make Case for Adding Arts to STEM
Ed Week’s recent article on STEAM introduces key reasons for adding the ARTS to STEM.
The acronym STEM—shorthand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—has quickly taken hold in education policy circles, but some experts in the arts community and beyond suggest it may be missing another initial to make the combination still more powerful. The idea? Move from STEM to STEAM, with an A for the arts.
Although it seems a stretch to imagine STEM will be replaced in education parlance, momentum appears to be mounting to explore ways that the intersection of the arts with the STEM fields can enhance student engagement and learning, and even help unlock creative thinking and innovation. To read the full article go to: http://www.box.com/s/3mezouko8dt1z2j0dca9
Arts Integration Resources
The Phillips Collection Education Department held an Educators Forum on Arts Integration in June 2011 entitled “Teaching Through the Prism.” This two-day event featured keynote lectures, experiment stations, and was attended by over 170 educators and stakeholders representing 17 states. Resources from the forum are now available online. For more information go to: http://www.phillipscollection.org/programs/other/prism.aspx
Americans for the Arts Launches New Campaign
On January 10, Americans for the Arts (AFTA) will launch a new campaign, The pARTnership Movement, designed to send business leaders the message that partnering with the arts can build their competitive advantage. AFTA will host a webinar,
Roadmap to The pARTnership Movement, on February 15 at 3:00 PM Eastern. It will provide a detailed tour of the website, which will offer real-world examples that demonstrate how arts and business partnerships benefit companies, tips for partnering, a zip locator to find eligible arts organizations, and tools to help advocate for more resources for the arts. Arts organizations will be able to download tool kits, find information on how to use different elements of the campaign, and share their successful partnership stories.
New Federal Interagency Task Force on the Arts and Human Development
The National Endowment for the Arts is leading a new task force of 13 federal agencies and departments to encourage more research on how the arts help people reach their full potential at all stages of life. Most of the research on links between the arts and positive cognitive, behavioral, and social outcomes is small-scale and short-term; there are major gaps in federally sponsored arts research; and there is no nationally representative research on how the arts affect people with illness, injury, or disability. The members of the Interagency Task Force will work together to help fill research gaps and build a stronger evidence base to inform future policy and practices nationwide.
The Arts Education Partnership National Forum
Make Plans Now to attend the AEP Spring 2012 National Forum:Are We There Yet? Arts Evidence and the Road to Student Success on April 12-13 in Washington, D.C. The conversation will focus on the growing body of research evidence which makes the case that learning in and through the arts contributes to educational excellence. Get involved in the discussion by submitting a session proposal, volunteering, or attending. Proposals are due February 1. For registration information, go to: http://www.aep-arts.org/
Does Playing an Instrument Improve Cognitive Ability?
The Indianapolis Star shares an effort to see if “music improves minds.” Access the story here.