Arts Education Gives Students a Reason to Celebrate
As students begin their school years and we approach the fall in our community, it is important for us to remember the impact of education in our homes, schools and communities. For decades, research has shown that when students participate in the arts as a part of their education, they go on to succeed in school, work and life.
Designated by Congress in 2010, the week beginning with the second Sunday in September is National Arts in Education Week: a national celebration of the transformative power of the arts in education. We thank and acknowledge our arts educators, teaching artists and arts resources in DuPage for the important work they do throughout the year and encourage all supporters of arts, culture, and education to join with us in applauding their contributions to education and our community.
Recently, in Washington, D.C., the new Every Student Succeeds Act was signed into law - replacing No Child Left Behind. This new bill fully supports the arts as a core element of every student’s "well-rounded" education. It provides the flexibility for students to learn creatively and for local districts and states to create schools that embrace the arts.
What we know is simple: students attend school more often when they have access to the arts, parents and families engage with the schools when schools embrace the arts, dropout rates decrease, grades increase - and the halls are filled with artwork, songs, drama and dancing.
And, we are not alone in this belief. According to a recent public opinion poll, released in March, 9
Arts Education/Add one
out of 10 Americans believe that the arts are essential to a student's comprehensive education.
So as we celebrate National Arts in Education Week, we should pause to recognize the art educators and arts-in-education programs that offer DuPage students the best of a thorough and compelling education.
Lisa Tylke
Director, Arts DuPage
An initiative of the DuPage Foundation
About the DuPage Foundation
The DuPage Foundation seeks to raise the quality of life throughout DuPage County by fostering philanthropy, connecting donors to area needs and building community partnerships. Based on the American virtues of volunteerism and philanthropy, the Foundation fosters a legacy of support for the people of DuPage County by making grants to not-for-profit organizations working in the areas of Arts and Culture, Education, the Environment, Health, and Human Services. Since its inception, the Foundation has built its endowment to more than $65 million and awarded more than $27 million in grants to not-for-profit agencies serving the residents of DuPage County and beyond.
Celebrating its 30th Anniversary, the DuPage Foundation was established in 1986 and is a publicly-supported 501(c)(3) organization to which contributions are tax deductible. It was created to benefit the people of DuPage County and receives contributions and bequests into a permanent endowment from individuals, corporations, organizations and foundations wishing to make lasting contributions to the people of DuPage. The earnings on these funds are then used, in accordance with donor wishes, for the Foundation’s grantmaking and community leadership activities.
For more information about the Foundation, or to arrange future media opportunities, please contact William Pearch, marketing manager, at 630.598.5290, or bill@dupagefoundation.org.
