Educational Benefits of the Arts in Education

Current studies have shown that involvement in the arts promotes academic
achievement and increases self-confidence.  Kids who are involved in the arts read more often and are more involved in their communities.

The facts are that incorporating the arts in education:

    • Levels the learning field across socio-economic boundaries
    • Makes learning more interactive, creative and fun thus improving attendance
    • Strengthens problem solving and critical thinking skills
    • Helps students develop goal setting, a positive work ethic and pride in a job well done
    • Assists at-risk youth by providing an alternative approach to learning
    • Gives students a greater appreciation for the creative process and the work of others
    • Provides exposure to the greater world outside their community

 

“Years of research show that an education that includes the arts is closely linked to almost everything that we as a state and nation say we want for our children: academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement and equitable opportunity.”

Resources:

YouthARTS Development Project;  National Endowment for the Arts; Americans for the Arts; Edutopia; Involvement in the Arts and Success in Secondary School-James S. Catterall; The UCLA Imagination Project, Graduate School of Education & Information Studies- UCLA; Living the Arts through Language + Learning: A Report on Community-based Youth Organizations- Shirley Brice Heath; Stanford University and Carnegie Foundation For the Advancement of Teaching. Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development – Arts Education Partnership; SAT Scores of Students Who Study the Arts: What We Can and Cannot Conclude about the Association, The Journal of Aesthetic Education-Kathryn Vaughn and Ellen Winner.