5 Reasons Why Art is Essential to Education
Photo by David Dowling
Written by Olivia Perkins
Arts education is the flame that lights the never-ending fire for innovation, creativity, and success, and not just because we said so—it’s proven! Several studies have shown that arts education is crucial to the mental, emotional, social, and creative development of children. Here are 5 reasons why you should involve your child in arts education today:
Arts-based learning gives students an academic advantage.
Students who actively participate in arts education are:
2x as likely to read for pleasure
4x more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
4x more likely to participate in the math and science fair
3x more likely to win an award for school attendance
3x more likely to be elected to class office
2. An artistic lens promotes alternative learning styles.
“An arts education provides alternative opportunities to reward the skills of children who learn differently.”
Arts education is not just educating students on the arts, but using the arts to educate students on a multitude of subjects. Creative avenues of learning allow students to merge the arts with other subjects in a way that's conducive to multiple learning styles.
In addition, children are shown to have strengthened problem-solving and critical thinking skills when involved in arts education. Do you want your child to find a job that they’ll love? Well, 72% of business leaders say that the number one thing that they are looking for when hiring is creativity.
3. Children learn critical thinking skills and communication skills such as empathy and tolerance.
Arts-based learning unifies us across cultures by:
Giving children life skills that will manifest in the way that they represent themselves and their families outside of the home, and in the workforce.
Allowing for the development of social-emotional, and multisensory skills:
Visual arts such as painting teach children cause and effect.
Dancing teaches children how to express themselves through body language, and learn more about muscle control, and coordination.
4. The career opportunities are endless!
A career as an architect, industrial designer, web designer, marketing director, journalist and engineer (the list goes on) require extensive arts education. Art and creativity in the real world surround most fields of study.
5. Arts education programs are available right in your communities!
Joe's Movement Emporium offers arts education programs for the whole year:
Club Joe’s After School
Summer Arts Learning
Ability Project: a multi-disciplinary performance project in dance, spoken word, African drum, and more for differently-abled performers with developmental disabilities such as autism or down syndrome.
CreativeWorks, an arts focused workforce development program
Find out more about Joe's Movement Emporium Arts Education Programs
The list could go on, but let’s bring the point home: Arts education gives your child the developmental skills necessary to apply the information learned throughout their childhood. The demand for arts based learning is greater now than ever, so we implore you to engage your child in environments that encourage creative development. Our brains are vessels for boundless creativity. Growing open, creative minds with limitless ideas starts with getting your babies in these programs today!
Edited by Shannon White