New Resources Highlight Value of Arts Education

For 26 years, the Arts Education Partnership (AEP) has served as the national hub for advancing arts education across the country. This unique partnership is fortified by a network of more than 100 like-minded organizations, is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Education, and is administered by Education Commission of the States. Throughout AEP’s history, NASAA has had the pleasure and opportunity to be an AEP partner and advisory council member in representation of state arts agencies.

Strengthened by a strategic mission statement developed to deepen its commitment to its original purpose, AEP now strategically serves as “the nation’s hub for arts and education leaders, building their leadership capacity to support students, educators and learning environments. Through research, reports, convenings and counsel, leaders gain knowledge and insights to ensure that all learners receive an excellent arts education.” AEP’s top priority is building the leadership capacity and knowledge necessary to advance arts education.

To this end, I’m pleased to share with you AEP’s newest products designed to build the knowledge and capacity of arts education leaders.

In December, AEP introduced its newest resource, The Arts and Literacies. This interactive resource explores the intersections between arts education and literacies. This work expands the narrative of literacy to include the many ways people make meaning beyond reading and writing (such as media, movement, sound, etc.). AEP then assembled experts at a thinkers meeting series and captured their insights and reflections to explore the relationships among art, arts education and various literacies. The online resource uses art and text to help visitors explore these intersections.

In November, AEP published Theatre Counts: How Theatre Education Transforms Students’ Lives. This special AEP report reviews national and international research studies to explore the impact of theatre in student learning and academic and personal growth. The studies featured within the report demonstrate theatre’s positive impact on student success. They also demonstrate the power of theatre education to:

promote identity development and growth,
build empathy and relationships among peers, and
empower participants to transform their understanding of their place in the world.

Earlier in the fall, AEP published Expanding the Arts Across the Juvenile Justice System. This policy brief was strengthened by capturing insights from a thinkers meeting that included 11 experts from the arts education and juvenile justice fields. The group shared insights on three themes:

Identifying considerations for effective and sustainable arts based programming
Identifying key actors in policy and implementation for arts education in juvenile justice systems
Considering state and federal policy opportunities and barriers to implement arts based programming

To check out additional resources from the AEP team, connect to the following:

ArtsEdSearch, the hub for research on arts education impact
ArtScan, a database on state policies that support arts education
ArtsEd Digest, the bimonthly newsletter that highlights news from AEP partners and the arts education field