It’s time to celebrate Arts Education Week and the many ways in which arts education is essential to a student’s success. Passed by Congress in 2010, House Resolution 275 designates the week that follows the second Sunday of September as National Arts in Education Week. The celebration is intended to bring attention to the cause of arts education for elected officials and educational decision-makers across the country and to support equitable access to the arts for all students.

Did you know that low-income students who are highly engaged in the arts are twice as likely to graduate college than their peers with no arts education? That those who participate in the arts, both in school and after school, have a dropout rate of just 4 percent—five times lower than their peers? That students who take four years of arts and music classes average almost 100 points better on their SAT scores than students with only a half-year or less? Or that Seventy-eight percent of young adults who had arts-rich experiences were more likely to vote or participate in a political campaign? (Arts + Social Impact Explorer-Americans for the Arts)

Even amid the challenges of distance learning and the dislocation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, arts education continues to play an important role in the growth and development of children of all backgrounds. Are you looking for ways to support your student(s) experiences? There are a number of great resources on the web sites of the Maryland State Department of Education's Office of Fine Arts and Arts Education in Maryland Schools.

Looking for more? Americans for the Arts offers a host of ways you can celebrate, advocate, and participate in the events of this important week. Check out their website at https://www.americansforthearts.org/by-topic/arts-education/national-art...

Sending a special thank you to arts educators around the world,

Jeannie

P.S. Visit https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/gbca to learn more about how you can support the important programs of GBCA.