Over the last thirty years, we have witnessed a disturbing trend in our schools.  Budget constraints have led to Arts programs being scaled down or even eliminated altogether. This has been happening throughout the country, but the negative impact is greatest in low-income communities.  

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Through the arts, children learn valuable life skills that guide them to becoming engaged, creative, and innovative thinkers. Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, verbal skill, cognitive ability, and critical thinking. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork. According to a report by the Rand Corporation, art education does more than just give students a creative outlet. It can actually help connect them to the larger world, ultimately improving community cohesion. 

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If students are going to be prepared for the future, they will need the 21st century skills that can be learned via visual, literary, and performing arts. Moreover, studies have shown that greater arts education leads to fewer disciplinary infractions and higher attendance, graduation rates, and test scores. As stated by the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education, "Arts education enables those children from a financially challenged background to have a more level playing field with children who have had those enrichment experiences.'' In addition, research supported by the National Endowment for the Arts has shown that students from low socioeconomic backgrounds who have arts-rich experiences are more likely to achieve key positive outcomes - academically, socially, and civically - compared with their peers who lack access to arts experiences.

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