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Educators, state leaders, and students around the state are celebrating Arts in Education Week, which takes place Sept. 14-20, through performances and advocacy.
Nationally, this year’s theme is “Stronger Together for Arts in Education.” According to the Americans for the Arts’ website, over two million students lack access to a quality arts education. Participating in such classes helps students with academic achievement, workforce readiness, and wellness, the website says, and also helps all students access “transformative learning experiences.”
“Every student deserves the opportunity to create, innovate, and thrive through the arts, regardless of zip code or family income,” the website says. “Arts in education drives student success across every measure.”
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National Arts in Education Week was established by Congress in 2010. On their website, Americans for the Arts list the following federal priorities:
- Supporting the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA),
- Arts Education for All Act,
- HBCU Arts Act, and
- Preserving Title IV-A and Assistance for Arts Education (AAE) grants that fund arts, music, and creative learning across the country.
“As Congress approaches the September 30 budget deadline, cuts to the NEA would hit hardest in the rural and low-income communities that rely on these programs most. These legislative priorities help advance equity—ensuring access reaches students in the schools and communities where arts programs are most at risk,” the Americans for Arts website says.
In North Carolina, state leaders are also honoring arts in education as a key part of student development. Earlier this month, the state’s arts educators convened in Raleigh for the North Carolina Comprehensive Arts Education Conference. Participants discussed teaching practices in dance, music, theater, and visual arts, according to a Facebook post from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI).
In his proclamation of the week, Gov. Josh Stein said: “To succeed in today’s economy, students must masterfully develop traits that business leaders demand in a twenty-first-century workforce, such as communicating through words, images, sounds, and movement.”
Stein also said arts education contributes to increased attendance and graduation rates, academic achievement, postsecondary success, and personal growth outside of the classroom.
“Arts education enables students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, imagination and creativity, discipline and collaboration, alternative ways to communicate and express feelings and ideas, and cross-cultural understanding, all of which support personalized pathways to academic success across the curriculum,” Stein said in the proclamation. “…The arts are an integral part of life in our state and are essential to a complete education that contributes to the vibrancy and vitality of communities and the nation.”
At a local level, some school districts use the week as an opportunity to highlight their growing arts programs.
For example, Chatham County Schools (CCS) has two visiting artists this school year, along with artist residencies to deliver high-quality arts instruction directly into schools. CCS was also named one of the “Best Communities for Music Education,” according to a press release from the district commemorating the week.
“Arts education isn’t just about performance or product, it’s about unlocking potential,” said Bryan DeCristofaro, CCS instructional program facilitator for the arts. “Through music, movement, visual storytelling, and creative expression, our students build the skills and confidence to thrive in school, in their communities, and in life.”
“Arts education is not just a program, it’s a pillar of our commitment to developing the whole child,” CCS Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson added.
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To celebrate the week, DPI also invited three different districts to showcase their student performers at its headquarters in Raleigh. Here’s the schedule of events:
- Monday, Sept. 15: Greene Central High School Marching Band from Greene County, on the Halifax Lawn from 11:30-12. You can view photos from the event here.
- Tuesday, Sept. 16: Chase Middle School Chorus from Rutherford County performed at DPI in Room 150 from 11:30-12.
- Thursday, Sept. 18: The “Dynamic Marching Machine” of Warren County High School on the Halifax Lawn from 11:30-12.
You can read more about each of the school’s programs here, or watch the performances on DPI’s YouTube channel.
On Monday, State Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green also released a video highlighting the state’s commitment to arts education.
“The arts are not a luxury. They are a right for each of our 1.5 million public school students in North Carolina,” he said.
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