January Cause of the Month: Keep the Arts in Public Schools

There is no doubt that there is a big problem in funding for public schools. Teachers are losing jobs quicker than anyone can measure, and every time we lose a teacher our children lose another opportunity to excel.

When school boards get together to make cuts for the coming year, the first place they take from is the electives, the art departments in particular (heaven forbid they cut P.E., although rumors of that happening is circulating). By arts I am not just talking about painting a pretty picture to go on mommy and daddy’s fridge, I am talking about the visual arts as well as humanities, music, dance and theater, all the classes that make a student culturally well rounded.

There are many non-profit organizations that are getting involved in the fight to save the art programs in our public schools, and it is because they are educationally important. Anyone from an artistic family can tell you, the arts are why many kids stay in school, and it is to their advantage.

According to Americans for the Arts, students involved in art programs are:

• 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement

• 3 times more likely to be elected to class office

• 4 times more likely to participate in math and science fair

• 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance

Many nonprofits are getting into the fight for public school art programs. Sure, some focus more on their chosen department (i.e. graphic art, visual art, music) but they all strive for the same end-goal: to save the arts.

The cause Keep the Arts in Public Schools on www.causes.com has raised $51,444.67 with its 1,229,280 members, proving that the arts are important to the public school consumer.

The organization spearheading this cause is Americans for the Arts. With offices in Washington, D.C., and New York City, this non-profit stands behind all the arts and is currently serving over 150,000 organizational and individual members along with their stakeholders. Their advocacy campaign, “The Arts. Ask for More.,” has created many creative and funny public service announcements featuring products named after famous artists such as “Raisin Brahms” and “Van Goghgurt.”

The New York City based organization Art for Progress has joined the fight. Focusing on the underserved youth in NYC the organization host after school art programs in addition to their 8-week programs, workshops and Artist in Residence program.

One of the most advertised, and probably most popular, arts advocator is VH1’s Save the Music Foundation. Since the creation of the organization in 1997, Save the Music boasts $48 million in new musical instruments to over 1,800 public schools in over 100 cities reaching over 1.8 million students. In recent years the cause has prompted many partnership with companies like Billabong, Kimpton Hotels and Raymond Weil.

In 2010 the Save the Music Foundation partnered with DoSomething.org to create a “Battle for the Bands” contest in which local bands would upload a music or music education advocacy video to www.dosomething.org to win top prizes.

It is not only faceless non-profits getting involved; big time music and screen performers are also taking their stance on the art program debate. Teamed with VH1’s Save the Music are artists such as Jordin Sparks, Miley Cyrus, Adele, and Kelly Clarkson, and they all have the same message: save the music, but more importantly, save the arts!