and Creativity of Young People
I am a huge proponent of art programs being made available, both within our school systems and within our communities. Programs that nourish the imagination and creativity of young people while cultivating thinking skills are integral to every child’s development. Over the years, I have derived immense pleasure from working with kids ranging in age from 3 to 19 — to me, there is nothing more satisfying than watching the joy of discovery or accomplishment on a child’s beaming face.
It is statistically proven that youth participating in arts programs are more likely to achieve academic success and to be kept out of legal systems – particularly in urban communities with at-risk youth. This is an important fact to consider as Americans for the Arts reports that every day 2,833 children drop out of school. Moreover, youth account for 18 percent of violent crime in the U.S. and an estimated 135,000 children carry guns to school each day.
The Arts Lead to Stronger Academic Performance
As reported at 2009 Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Ohio, April 1, 2009, page 20
“Significant research over the last decade has built a strong case for the value of learning in the arts. Major summaries, including: Champions of Change (2000); Critical Links (2002); and now Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement (2006), illuminate the essential role the arts play in developing intellectual and academic skills, as well as other positive attributes.
In a 2008 report from The College Board, students who took four years of arts coursework outperformed their peers who had a half-year or less of arts coursework by 47 points on the writing portion, 38 points on the math portion, and 49 points on the critical reading portion of the SAT. Research and public opinion support that arts education fosters mental discipline, encourages productivity, cultivates the ability to adapt to ever-changing circumstances and encourages confidence in individuality, knowledge, competence and personal potential. The role of the arts in integrated, interdisciplinary learning is essential to developing creativity and meeting the demands of the 21st century workforce.
Cultivating imagination in our children serves as a cost effective model to achieve innovation, which responds to the demands of the global economy. Businesses believe that the arts are an important component in building a well-educated workforce. According to a national survey, 58 percent of businesses (and 76 percent of large businesses) say that their arts support is essential to educating children in their communities.”
Congress has a record of supporting the Arts in Education programs, despite their elimination in the past administration budget proposals. President Obama’s budget included funding for this program for the first time in eight years. U.S. Department of Education’s Arts in Education programs support the development of models for K-12 arts education, professional development for arts educators, the national activities of the Kennedy Center, and VSA arts, which serves artists with disabilities.
I know that in today’s challenging economy, the arts are one of the first groups to feel the repercussions. I cringe every time I hear about another cutback, another program being dropped, so I was pleased when President Obama declared October as National Arts and Humanities Month. In my own small way, this blog art ‘n soul: cultivating imagination, is my personal commitment to keeping the arts alive and flourishing, if even in my own heart.