Why is art education important?

Hey everyone! I just wanted to share some great resources for art educators and administrators about becoming an advocate for the arts in your school system! 

This list comes from Champions of Change (linked below) and details why art is so important to have in our schools.

The arts transform the learning environment. When the arts become central to the learning environment, schools and other settings become places of discovery; school culture is changed and learning is improved.
The arts reach students who are not otherwise being reached. Young people who are disengaged from schools and other community institutions are at the greatest risk of failure or harm. The arts provide a reason, and sometimes the only reason, for a student to engage with school or other organizations.
The arts reach students in ways they are not otherwise being reached. Recent educational research has produced insights into different styles of learning. The theory of multiple intelligences illustrates that students learn in myriad ways: linguistically, logically, spatially, kinesthetically, etc. This means that conventional classroom practices do not engage students with different learning styles. An education rich in the arts is more likely to reach more students in more ways.
The arts connect students to themselves and each other. Creating an artwork is a personal experience. The student draws upon his or her personal resources to generate the result. By engaging his or her whole person, the student feels invested in ways that are deeper than “knowing the answer.” Experiences such as this enable young people to grow and connect with one another in new ways.
The arts provide new challenges for those students already considered successful. Boredom and complacency are barriers to success. For those young people who outgrow their established learning environments, the arts can offer a chance for unlimited challenge
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Download CHampions of Change