Vision:

The Art is Education initiative envisions a public school system where every student will receive the highest quality education that includes continual immersion in a comprehensive, arts-infused curriculum.

Every child deserves a quality education that includes learning in and through the arts. The arts are essential to developing the skills that are needed to succeed in a global society. As a core subject more funding is needed to provide quality arts learning that includes curriculum development, professional development and other resources. The arts are important to providing the kind of well rounded education all children deserve and must have to be successful as lifelong learners and citizens.

Advocacy Goals

Build support for arts-integration across the community through collaboration, education, research, advocacy training and shared leadership for sustained community involvement to improve outcomes for students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. (CMSD)

Create an Advocacy Taskforce. The goal of the taskforce will be to drive reform and keep the flow of energy to policy makers to promote every child’s right to a quality education that includes the arts.

Why is advocacy a part of the Art is Education initiative?

Advocacy is a part of a strategic plan to build organizational capacity and a broader base of support for learning in and through the arts. Young Audiences, with the help of our funders and our partners in the arts and cultural community will lead the effort to expand this vision into the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and mobilize the greater community to establish the arts as a vital component to a quality education and help to make the Cleveland Metropolitan School District a "Premier School in the United States of America".

Advocacy Defined:

Advocacy is a way of solving problems that helps to protect rights, influence outcomes and gain power for self and others.

It requires gaining new skills, knowledge and resources that will help to achieve specific goals. It is critical to promoting just and fair systems of access for those who feel they are powerless.

More reasons why

The "arts" and "advocacy" are a natural pair. According to the National Endowment for the Arts report, The Arts and Civic Engagement, "arts participation overwhelmingly correlates with positive individual and civic behaviors".

The arts are an equitable way to reach all children
The arts provide vital skill development in creative and critical thinking that can lead to innovation and a better trained workforce for the 21st Century.
The arts are a way to increase civic engagement and develop leadership among youth
The arts are too important to leave to chance
We must build the capacity of schools and communities together
The most disenfranchised are not benefiting from the current education systems
Strong communities need strong schools
Grassroots reform efforts work

Essentially, advocacy is about power. Arts advocacy is about combining the transformative power of the arts with the power of people to bring about a just and fair system of education for all children to help them succeed in school and in life.

The advocacy goals will be accomplished through "4 Core" Engagement Criteria for a continuous process of engagement - Listen, Excite, Inform, Invite.