Art in schools isn’t an “extra,” it’s VITAL! In today’s schools where students spend months preparing for standardized testing, art gives students a space to relax and flex their creativity muscles. Kids learn to be makers, not note takers. They learn new ways to communicate and share stories. They develop a “can-do-anything” attitude. In fact, preliminary findings from a study conducted by the Gardner Center at Stanford show that when art programs like Art in Action are introduced, students and their entire school communities have a renewed sense of joy, pride, ownership and engagement.

Sadly, funds for arts education are often the very first thing cut from a school’s budget. This year, in addition to hundreds of participating schools, Art in Action has an opportunity to bring art to 10 new schools that want our art program but can’t afford it. We need to get these programs started NOW, at the beginning of the school year, so that 1,000 kids have the opportunity to develop the skill needed most in our workforce - creativity.

To activate art at these schools we need to raise $10,000 by October 31. A generous donor has pledged $5,000 as a dollar-for- dollar match for the first $5,000 raised to kick off the campaign. Your donation will:

Fund the Art in Action program at these schools
Develop new diverse lessons relevant to the lives of these students
Train hundreds of parents and teachers to teach art in the classrooms

Yasmine, a 3rd grade student in Redwood City, CA recently told us:

“School can be really hard sometimes, but what really makes me want to come to school is art. I love to draw my family and cool things like butterflies and horses. We never had art in school until last year. Now, my favorite part of the day is when we have our Art in Action lesson. I feel really good about myself when I make art because I get to be creative. When I’m in art class, it feels like I can do anything. If I didn’t have art, I would be very sad.
I wish all kids could have Art in Action."

Invest in the creativity of future generations. If art has ever made you think, laugh or feel, please donate to our campaign to bring that emotional power to many, many others. A gift as small as $10 will bring art for an entire year to a student like Yasmine. Share our campaign with friends, family, and colleagues to help us reach our $10,000 goal to provide 10 new schools with a vital arts education. On behalf of students like Yasmine everywhere, thank you.

Art in Action, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, transforms school communities and their students through an engaging, hands-on curriculum that teaches 21st century learning skills through art history, appreciation and practice. We currently reach over 50,000 students in nearly 2,000 classrooms nationwide.