Arts

“To succeed today and in the future, America’s children will need to be inventive, resourceful, and imaginative. The best way to foster that creativity is through arts education.”
– Arne Duncan, Former U. S. Secretary of Education

 
Educating imaginative students will require both in and out-of-school opportunities.  The combination of the rigor of formal classroom explorations and the informal investigations of out-of-school time programs will nurture students’ success. The arts combine learning with fun afterschool activities that engage students. Working through dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, students explore, apply, and understand the meaning of the arts in their own lives.

Positive youth development and increased civic engagement are some examples of arts education outcomes taking place during non-school hours.

Principals of Quality Arts in Out of School Time programs are:

 Research shows Arts in Out of School Time programs:

Arts Education Resources

South Carolina Arts Commission

Afterschool Alliance

You for Youth

Research Resources

Writing a grant seeking financial assistance? There are many research papers proving how incorporation of arts into out of school time programs positively impacts youth.  Below are resources, with data, to include in grant writing:

Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement (PDF)
Source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
“Makes the case for the arts” based on sound educational research.

Arts Education Facts
Source: Americans for the Arts
Key points about the benefits of arts education; highlights from key national research; arts education standards; and additional resources.