Together, we can change the future. Whether education reaches children or adults, inside of classrooms or outside, the arts change lives.
Arts Education Grants with Vans Custom Culture
Americans for the Arts and Vans Custom Culture joined forces to bring the arts into more students’ lives. Through the Custom Culture contest, in which school art programs enter designed Vans blank canvas shoes, 10 schools received grants of $2,000 to support their work in providing high-quality arts instruction for students.
Henry W. Grady High School in Atlanta will be using the funds to create a mural. New World School of the Arts in Miami will use the funds to buy new recording equipment that will allow their students to create professional recordings for college auditions and scholarships. Lindblom Academy in Chicago will purchase 15 digital still/video cameras to create a more contemporary and student‐centered program.
Arts Education Field Guide
We created two resources to give parents, teachers, administrators, and community members the tools they need to effect change in arts education in their communities. The Field Guide leads readers through the ecosystem of arts education.
To learn more, watch our seven-part webinar series which walks you through working with the roles of federal constituents, state-level constituents, school boards, superintendents, business partners, principals, and parents.
Local Arts Classroom & Executive Director and Board Member Symposium
While sharing the arts in schools is essential, educating arts professionals ensures the success of not only our field but of the future of the arts in America. We launched a six-part online learning program designed for emerging leaders to connect and learn from each other and field veterans.
On the other end of the spectrum, we offered a special day-long training for executive directors and board members to strengthen and broaden their leadership skills, both for use within their organizations and in the larger public community.