Arts Education: May be Underfunded but Not to be Overlooked

by Virginia Eader, School's Out Washington MSW Student Intern

 

I have two greatest memories from high school. First, the time I spent in Drama Club: exploring different personas, emotions, and expressions in order to communicate and tell stories. I developed such a bond with the other kids involved and I remember my drama teacher spending countless hours afterschool (probably unpaid and probably spending his own money on supplies) in order to provide us with such an opportunity. 

 

My other greatest memory is the time I spent as an outdoor camp counselor to 5^th graders. In addition to exploring nature, this involved participating in and teaching campfire songs, silly dances and skits, and hands-on arts and crafts activities. In these moments I learned more about myself than I have ever had at that age. These opportunities allowed me to explore my own identity, self expression, creativity, in addition to a great deal of other skills: teamwork, social skills, critical thinking, problem solving, public speaking, engaged learning, risk-taking, and leadership, to name a few. To think of never having had the option to participate in creative learning at that age, I would probably be a different person today.

 

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a community roundtable discussion on arts education. What a great way to spend a few hours on a normally dull week night. The space was full of a diverse group of arts education advocates- teachers, teaching artists, non-profit leaders, art therapists, youth workers, and artists of various media.

 

One of the participants hit the nail on the head when they said, “Without arts education, we are short changing our young people.”

 

The reality exists that arts education and creative expression within our education system  is slowly on its way to becoming something of the past. In the world of standardized testing, there is little room for creativity. It is up to us as afterschool and youth development professionals to be strong advocates not just for quality education, but for quality education that encompasses diverse modes of learning.

 

The arts have become a luxury in the public school system. Schools in low-income neighborhoods are lucky to have the opportunity to participate in the opportunities I had as a youth. If we want to address the opportunity gap that exists in our state, equal access to arts education is one place to start. While we all feel the pressure of shrinking budgets, we can use our own creative minds (go figure!) to build community/school/neighborhood partnerships to ensure that young people have opportunities to explore their creative brilliance.

Finally, as another participant pointed out, “We need to move away from ‘Arts Education’ as separate from ‘Education’.” It needs to become an integrated piece of Education as a whole.

 

Arts Education Resources: