By Dennis Scholl and Tatiana Hernandez

Today, the President’s Committee on Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) released its Knight Foundation funded report on the current state of arts education. For those of us passionate about the arts and concerned over recent trends, this report couldn’t have come at a better time. The Committee found that, despite decades of research linking high-quality arts education with increased academic achievement, school engagement and creative thinking, overall access to arts programs has been limited. So, where do we go from here? According to the PCAH, we need to develop more and stronger networks of support between educators, legislators and leaders in the arts, to build the social capital needed to move things forward. We must also deepen the integration of art throughout curriculums – establishing interdisciplinary touch points. Interestingly, the Committee also recommends expanding opportunities for teaching artists in the classroom similar to the suggested national “ArtistsCorp” program – mentioned in the President’s Arts Policy Platform.

Professional development opportunities for working artists that educate and engage the community are exactly the kind of programming we want to see more of. The arts are once again demonstrating their importance in the development of strong, well-rounded and informed citizens. Click here for the full report.