How the Arts Can Enhance After-School Programs U.S. Department of Education & National Endowment for the Arts Cover Photograph: Students from Sigel Elementary School's 21st Century Community Learning Center engage in linoleum block printing at Taproots School of the Arts in St. Louis, Missouri. Notice: This document contains examples, contact information and Web sites for information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. This information is provided for the reader's conven- ience. The U.S. Department of Education and the National Endowment for the Arts do not control or guar- antee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclu- sion of information, addresses or Web sites for particular items does not reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered. The text ot this report is in the public domain. Feel free to photocopy or reprint. To request copies of this report, contact the National Endowment for the Arts; 1 100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW; Washington, DC 20506-0001; 202-682-5400. How the Arts Can Enhance After-School Programs U.S. Department of Education & National Endowment for the Arts For more information on after-school programs contact us at: U.S. Department ot Education Partnership tor Family Involvement in Education 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W. Washington, DC 20202-8173 E-mail: partner@ed.gov Telephone: 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327) FIRS: 1-800-877-8339, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., ET, M-F National Endowment tor the Arts Nancy Hanks Center 1 100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20506-0001 Telephone: 202-682-5400 Web site: http://www.arts.gov Kathleen Pierson, an international Art Car designer, designed an Art Car tor the Art Attack'. 21st Century Community Learning Center program at Blounstown Middle School in Blountstown, Florida. The children helped to piece together the car, which has an anti-smoking theme. Children also had a chance to design their own toy Art Cars, as shown here. Acknowledgments The concept for this report was formulated by Adriana de Kanter and Andy Finch of the U.S. Department of Education and Lee Kessler of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional editing and advice came from Scott Shanklin-Peterson, Robbie McEwen and Patrice Walker Powell at the National Endowment for the Arts and from Terry Peterson and Menahem Herman at the U.S. Department of Education. The staff of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, including Robert Stonehill, Shawn Mussington, Sara Koenig, Jennifer Rinehart, and Steven Balkcom, gave invaluable assistance in identifying exemplary programs. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 HOW THE ARTS CAN ENHANCE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS 3 WHAT WORKS: COMPONENTS OF EXEMPLARY AFTER-SCHOOL ARTS PROGRAMS 5 EXEMPLARY PROGRAMS 8 Ogden Community Learning Center, Ogden, Kansas 9 Connections tor Youth: 21st Century Community Learning Centers, St. Louis, Missouri 11 Project "Lights and Action," Dallas, Texas 13 Art Attack!, 21st Century Community Learning Center, Calhoun County, Florida . . 15 Court Youth Center, Las Cruces, New Mexico 17 FEDERAL PARTNERS PLAY KEY ROLES IN AFTER-SCHOOL ARTS PROGRAMS 19 U.S. Department of Education 19 National Endowment for the Arts 19 AFTER-SCHOOL ARTS EDUCATION RESOURCES 21 Web Sites 21 Publications 24 INTRODUCTION Today, more than 28 million school-age children have parents who work outside the home, and as many as 15 million "latch-key children" return to empty homes after school. Those statistics and others, such as the fact that serious juvenile crime tends to peak in the hours between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., demonstrate the need for effective after-school programs. To help communities meet that need, the U.S. Department of Education has instituted the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which supports after-school, summer and weekend activities in neighborhood schools. This report provides a brief introduction to the role of the arts in those programs. It consists of a brief summary of recent research findings about both arts and after- school programs, a description of the key elements of successful programs and some key examples that showcase partnerships between schools and community-based organizations. For the purposes of this report, arts activities cover a wide range, including instrumental and vocal music, dance, theater, creative writing and the visual arts such as painting, sculpture, digital art and photography. Research results to which the report refers come from a series of recent studies that are cited at the end of the report under "Publications," along with information on how to obtain them. This report is issued under the auspices of the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Education that brings together schools, community organizations, employers, congregations and parents working in common to improve education for all children. 21st Century Community Learning Centers The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, authorized under Title X, Part I, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is a key com- ponent of the administration's commitment to help families and communities keep their children safe and smart. The 21st Century Community Learning Centers, supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Education, enable school districts to fund public schools as community education centers, keeping children safe in the after-school hours while they learn and build new skills. Congress has supported this initiative by appropriating nearly $454 million for after-school programs in fiscal year 2000, more than double the fis- cal year 1999 appropriation of $200 million. In fact, this program has increased tenfold since 1998. This increase in funding brings the total number of 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants to 903, spanning every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. These grants provide high-quality academ- ic, arts, and cultural enrichment and expanded youth services, within a com- munity schools context, for 3,610 schools and provide services to over 615,000 children and 225,000 adults. For fiscal year 2001 , Congress has appropriated nearly $846 million. HOW THE ARTS CAN ENHANCE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS In a recent report, Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning, published jointly by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities and the Arts Education Partnership, several independent researchers concluded that engagement in the arts nurtures the development of cognitive, social and personal competencies. Arts programs can increase academic achievement, help decrease youth involvement in delinquent behavior and improve youth attitudes about themselves and the future. More specifically, researchers found that learning in and through the arts: ^ Contributes significantly to improved critical thinking, problem posing, problem solving and decision-making; ^ Involves the communication, manipulation, interpretation and understanding of complex symbols, as do language and mathematics; ^ Fosters higher-order thinking skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation; -> Regularly engages multiple skills and abilities; and -► Develops a person's imagination and judgment. While many types of after-school programs provide important access, extension and support to children's learning and social development, those that include the arts add a special dimension, outlined below. Furthermore, after-school programs add important elements to in-school arts curricula through extended engagement with the artistic process beyond the usual 45-minute school periods. Extra time for instruction and structured exploration give students more satisfactory opportunities for self-expression or development of their abilities in one or more art forms. This, in turn, enables these young people to develop the motivation, skills and discipline necessary to make mean- ingful contributions to solo or group projects. They learn about the importance of high standards of achievement for themselves and others. They experience what it means to maintain focus and how sustained practice can lead to higher levels of proficiency. Research shows that children who participate in after-school programs generally attain higher academic achievement, behave better in class, handle conflict more effectively and cooperate more with authority figures and with their peers than their counterparts who are not in after-school programs. (This research is summarized in the publication Safe and Smart: Making the After-School Hours Work for Kids released in 1998 by the U.S. Department of Education and revised in April 2000 as Working for Children and Families: Safe and Smart After-School Programs.) Arts learning experiences can alter the attitudes of young people toward themselves and each other. For example, stu- dents involved in sustained theater arts (scene study, acting techniques, dramatic or musical theater production) often show gains not only in reading proficiency, but also in self-control and motivation and in empathy and tolerance for others. Arts activities can promote shared purpose and the team spirit required, for example, to perform in an ensemble music group or to design and paint an urban mural. Learning in and through the arts can even help students overcome the obstacles of dis- advantaged backgrounds. For example, one of the Champions of Change reports, using data from a study that followed over 25,000 students for 10 years, found that students consistently involved in music and theater show significantly higher levels of mathe- matics proficiency by grade 12 — regardless of their socioeconomic status. Schools and youth organizations have indicated that the most important factor in the success of their programs is the relationship between participants and the adults who work with them. After-school arts programs give young people direct contact with artists and other professionals who work in arts organizations. Young people in these programs gain substantial learning and practice opportunities with adults and older youth who serve as teachers and mentors. These professionals do not replace in-school arts teachers, but they do support, supplement, and enhance in-school education. According to Gaining the Arts Advantage: Lessons from School Districts that Value Arts Education, released in 1999 by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities and the Arts Education Partnership, the most critical element in sustaining arts learn- ing efforts appears to be active community involvement in shaping and implementing policies and programs. After-school programs offer outstanding opportunities to engage community resources, such as symphonies or museums, which in turn engage their own networks, volunteers, suppliers and others. These resources can then be applied to in-school programs as well, thus supporting and enhancing the work of pro- fessional teachers. Several of the examples cited below demonstrate how in-school and after-school programs can work together as part of a comprehensive, district-wide and community-wide strategy to give all children a top-quality education in the arts. WHAT WORKS: COMPONENTS OF EXEMPLARY AFTER-SCHOOL ARTS PROGRAMS Why do after- school efforts that include the arts work so well? What is it participants are actually learning? What is critical to the success of these programs? The Working for Children and Families: Safe and Smart After-School Programs report identified from the research literature eight key components of a quality after-school program. These characteristics of high-quality after-school programs, now widely acknowledged as key to a program's success, help ensure children's continued growth, development and learning throughout the pre-adolescent and adolescent school years. The eight components are: 1 . Goal setting, strong management and sustainability ^ Focus on the goals of the program ^ Solid organizational structure -> Effective management and sustainability -♦ Meeting legal requirements 2. Quality after-school staffing ^ Role of the program administrator -> Hiring and retaining qualified staff ^ Professional development for staff -> Use of volunteers ^ Low staff-to-student ratio ^ Smaller group sizes 3. Attention to safety, health and nutrition issues ^ Creating safe places with adequate space and materials -> Meeting nutritional needs 4. Effective partnerships with community-based organizations, juvenile justice agen- cies, law enforcement and youth groups -* Steps to building an after-school partnership -> Using community resources effectively 5. Strong involvement of families -> Involving families and youth in program planning -> Attending to the needs of working parents 6. Enriching learning opportunities -> Providing engaging opportunities to grow and learn -> Challenging curriculum in an enriching environment -> Coordinating learning with the regular school day -* Linking school-day and after-school curriculum 7. Linkages between school-day and after-school personnel ■4 Planning time to maximize children's opportunities -* Coordinated use of facilities and resources 8. Evaluation of program progress and effectiveness -> Designing effective evaluations -> Using data for improvement Characteristics of Effective Arts Programs In 1996, the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities issued, Coming Up Taller: Arts and Humanities Programs for Children and Youth at Risk, pro- duced in cooperation with Americans tor the Arts, that identitied characteris- tics similar to those listed in Working for Children and Families for after-school arts programs. For example, it recommended that programs emphasize hands-on learning and apprenticeship relationships, and that they take full advantage of the capacity of the arts to develop social skills such as team- work, self-respect and self-discipline as well as verbal, math and physical skills. Building on what young people already value, such programs should provide opportunities for success, shaped by the youth themselves. Like Working for Children and Families, the report also recognized that positive adult relation ships are central to success; that quality staff, small class size, and long-term sustainability are critical elements; and that programs should serve as gate- ways to other services for children and youth. 7 EXEMPLARY PROGRAMS The following 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs, supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Education, are examples of how local communities across the country are meeting the need for safe and smart after- school activities that serve young people of all ages. These examples are by no means exhaustive; they are intended to illustrate the kinds of after-school programs that are working in schools and communities. Community Learning Centers provide these expanded learning opportunities for partici- pating children in safe, drug-free and supervised environments. Enabling schools to stay open longer, they are places where children have access to: -> Homework centers; -* Intensive mentoring in basic skills; -> Drug and violence prevention counseling; -> Help for preparing to take college prep courses in high school; -> Academic, artistic and cultural enrichment activities; -> Technology education programs; and -> Services relating to disabilities. A key feature of each after-school program on the following pages is the partnerships they have with other organizations. Several of the examples are in schools that use after-school and in-school programs together to provide quality learning opportunities and to improve student achievement. 8 Ogden Community Learning Center Ogden, Kansas Contact: Barbara Tierney Principal Ogden Elementary School 785-587-2080 barbt@manhattan.kl 2.ks.us Kids don't just experience art in a classroom; they can experience art in the world around them. - Barbara Tierney Ogden, Kansas, is a rural community of 1,494 people located near the geographic cen- ter of the United States. There is no health service, no public transportation, no public library, community center, senior center or movie theater. But Ogden Elementary School has a strong commitment to arts education. Winner of a Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the school follows a model the essential goal of which is to make all children literate in language, numer- acy and the arts. That includes hands-on experiences so that students can become familiar with real works of art and create their own works using an artistic medium. For several years, the school has used state "at-risk" monies to develop an educational partnership with the Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University. Every time a new exhibition opens, each class visits the museum for a tour and hands-on activity. Funding from the Kansas Arts Commission has supported artists in residence as well as trips to the museum and other arts organizations. According to Ogden 's principal, it's hard to measure children's sense of respect, responsibility and self-discipline, but the results of an arts-centered program are easy to discern. Even the bus drivers com- pliment her on the children's behavior now! When it received a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant, Ogden Elementary tried something new: it used a portion of its funds to help support the Young Curators Project for sixth-graders at the local middle school. The rationale: many of the middle- schoolers are graduates of Ogden who will return next year to their elementary school as seventh-grade mentors. In this way, the students' carefully nurtured relationship with the Beach Museum will be strengthened and they will bring their new skills and knowledge back to Ogden in a new role. The sixth-graders, mentored by the entire museum staff, created a public exhibition from the Beach Museum's collection. Tasks included research and label writing, pro- ducing a catalogue, fundraising, public relations and programming, such as an opening for parents and friends and other member of the public as part of the Museum's "Arts Above the Arch" series. As a result, the students received excellent press coverage of the event through local television, radio and newspaper. All of this coverage empha- sized the partnership and the students' gains in achievement and self-esteem. The museum received support for Young Curators from the Kansas Arts Commission, Intrust Bank, and the Manhattan Broadcasting Company, Inc. Next year, the muse- um, a member of the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, will partner with another Community Learning Center to focus on curriculum development, teach- ers' workshops, artists' residencies, and after-school and summer programming. 10 Connections for Youth: 21st Century Community Learning Centers St. Louis, Missouri Contact: Rose M. Thompson Coordinator 21st Century Community Learning Centers St. Louis Public Schools 314-345-4404 This grant has really opened up opportunities and let us make connections with arts resources... resources that were out there, just waiting to be used. - Rose M. Thompson "Connections For Youth: A 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program" pro- vides after-school and Saturday programs for 650 students in grades four through eight in the St. Louis Public Schools. Activities in the program's seven community learning centers include after-school academic acceleration, enrichment and recreation; a Saturday academy focusing on science, math and technology; parent education and support programs; and professional development for program staff. The program has also availed itself of community arts resources. The Center of Contemporary Arts (COCA), a non-profit community-based arts center, provides extensive subsidized outreach initiatives to select St. Louis Community Learning Centers. It provides in-school residencies, after-school workshops lasting eight to ten weeks (in mural painting, poster design, pottery and mixed media) and summer programs that include the arts and technology. Twice a week, students come to COCA or staff are sent to the Community Learning Center. Instruction, supplies and administrative costs are supported by the Community Learning Center grant. Activities have included five in-school broadcasts at Clay Elementary School that high- lighted significant changes, individuals and events that affect the students' school com- munity. Curriculum connections are made to social studies, math, art and language 11 arts. Students have participated in a year-long residency and have been exposed to the technical aspects of videotaping, script-writing, investigative reporting and interviews, and on-camera and off-camera production. Another COCA project, ARTS-tainment, provides a series of hands-on art projects, such as collages, montages, wall hangings, and dolls and villages, designed to promote lan- guage and thinking skills, social interaction and collective activity, concentration, self- expression, hand-eye coordination, balance and play. Introduction to dance, at Carver Elementary School, gives children the opportunity to explore different dance styles, techniques, vocabulary and history, and to discover the benefits of physical fitness, dis- cipline, self-confidence, self-expression and teamwork. According to COCA staff, chil- dren in the program who have not had previous concentrated exposure in the arts learn a whole new way to look at the world around them. Students not only learn about the arts, but also learn more about themselves and their environment. Another service provider for the Community Learning Centers is the Taproots School of the Arts, which centers on the book-making arts. Marking the first collaboration between the city's Board of Education and Taproots, the Community Learning Center grant pays for Taproots staff to come into the schools as well as to bring students to Taproots. Printmaking, letterpress, papermaking, paper marbling and photography classes help students to weave image and word together through all their activities. No classes exceed 10 students in size. Similarly, the Portfolio Gallery and Educational Center involves the Community Learning Centers' participants in eight- to-ten-week workshops in mural painting, poster design, pottery, and mixed media. The Community Learning Center grant pays for instruction and supplies as well as administrative costs. As at Taproots, in some cases the children come to the facility, while in others staff are sent to the Community Learning Centers. The schools are also working with many other cultural organiza- tions, such as the St. Louis Science Center and the Missouri Botanical Garden. The St. Louis Public Schools is a proud member of the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, as is the Columbia School, one of the seven Community Learning Centers in the "Connections for Youth" program. 12 Project "Lights and Action" Dallas Independent School District Dallas, Texas Contact: Gigi Antoni Director ArtsPartners 214-520-9988 gigiantoni@yadallas.org Some schools look like prisons, but when there is art in schools it changes the way kids talk to each other, the way they behave. - Ron Morris, Teacher, Tolbert Elementary School, Dallas Using a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, Project "Lights and Action" has established six secondary and 1 1 elementary community learning centers across the Dallas Independent School District, the tenth largest district in the nation. "Lights and Action" sites will offer services to over 1 1,000 students and 4,700 adults. Working with Project "Lights and Action," ArtsPartners is a collaboration of the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, the public schools and 50 of the city's arts and cultur- al organizations. The goal is to maximize learning in Dallas schools through the inte- gration of arts and cultural programs into the curricula. ArtsPartners, which is a grantee of the National Endowment for the Arts, coordinates 650 cultural outreach pro- grams, educates teachers about the availability and value of these programs, provides technical assistance to help educators implement the programs and provides access to the funding needed to pay for them. This comprehensive coordinated effort seeks to maximize the impact of Dallas' best arts and cultural programs on learning both in the classroom and after school. Not only are students receiving services during the school day but also, as a result of a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, children are benefiting from after-school 13 arts education programming that supports academic and enrichment goals. ArtsPartners works with each 21st Community Learning Center campus to design a customized program that meets its specific needs. Young Audiences of Greater Dallas was contracted by the City of Dallas to serve as the managing partner of ArtsPartners. It is charged with developing the partnership's pro- cedures and policies, and with recruiting and coordinating the participating organiza- tions as well as the volunteer community leadership and staff to implement and expand the program. Young Audiences also coordinates the development and distribu- tion of educational materials pertaining to the program, manages all financial proce- dures for the program (including the recruitment of private funding), develops techno- logical tools and develops and implements a comprehensive assessment program. By the end of its three-year pilot phase, ArtsPartners expects to provide arts-in-education services to every elementary school child in the Dallas public schools. ArtsPartners has provided approximately 2,000 parents and children with arts and cul- tural programming and 50 teachers with professional development opportunities at 10 schools. Twenty Dallas arts and cultural institutions have provided programs, includ- ing field trips with parents and teachers, residencies, summer camps, and perfor- mances. Providers range from the Dallas Zoo to the Junior Players Guild, from Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico to the Age of Steam Museum. Seventy-five Dallas artists received training in child development, program design, curriculum integration, class- room management and teacher communication skills. An Arts-in-Education Superday, attended by 350 educators, principals, artists, parents, arts and cultural agency repre- sentatives and civic leaders, featured speakers from Texas and across the United States who gave lectures/workshops in grant writing, multiple intelligences, literacy, curricu- lum integration and arts-in-education research. More than two dozen Dallas artists and arts organizations provided cultural services to students and teachers. Teachers, principals and parent volunteers associated with the ArtsPartners' 21st Century Community Learning Center have been enthusiastic. They particularly enjoy the many flexible alternatives for after-school enrichment that ArtsPartners offers. The Dallas public school system is a member of the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education. In June 2000, this collaboration was featured in the U.S. Department of Education's Satellite Town Meeting. For a videotape of this program, which was titled "Learning Everywhere - In and Out of School," please call 1-877-4ED-PUBS. 14 Art Attack!, 21st Century Community Learning Center W.T. Neal Civic Center/Blountstown Middle School Calhoun County, Florida Contact: Suella McMillan Executive Director W.T. Neal Civic Center 850-674-4500 These are kids who don't get out to museums, so we bring the world to them. - Suella McMillan Art Attack!, a program designed by the non-profit Neal Civic Center, provides free, posi- tive, constructive and educational opportunities for at-risk children and their families during non-school hours. The program consists of the following components: eight- week summer day camps; Saturday programs for 21 weeks to parallel the school calen- dar; weekly tutoring and mentoring for Saturday program participants; and weekly in- school tutoring, mentoring and counseling. The curriculum includes literature, visual arts (drawing, painting, sculpting), music, dance, drumming, architectural interpretation (as part of regional history), aesthetics and art criticism, art appreciation, public performances, nutrition education and a fam- ily literacy program. National and international artists demonstrate for and work with the children. For example, artists in residence have included a mosaicist and a play- wright, among others. The playwright wrote a play based on local stories, which was produced with local actors and actresses. The mosaicist's six-month residency was secured through the National Endowment for the Arts' Artists & Communities Millennium Project, which engaged a Millennium Artist for each of the 50 states and six special jurisdictions to focus on the power of the arts in addressing fundamental issues of community life. In 2000, students undertook the Mars Millennium Project, a national initiative that 15 challenges students to design a human community for the red planet by combining arts, sciences and technology. Additional future activities include an internship pro- gram for college students majoring in child development and art education, therapy or administration; a traveling exhibition of the children's work; and public art performances offered free in each community. Plans include video documentation of this project so it can be used as a prototype for rural art intervention programs nationwide. This Community Learning Center program places great emphasis on family involve- ment. For example, it draws families into leadership roles in countywide events via their supervision of community-produced exhibits. Families' expertise and resources are used to compile a written community history. Also, families are offered a wide menu of volunteer and leadership opportunities, such as hosting performances, creat- ing and caring for exhibits, and identifying local needs and the roles they might play in meeting them. Throughout, parents can make choices according to their schedules, preferences and talents. The Neal Civic Center established Art Attack! at three local libraries independently of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. It then secured a grant on behalf of the Calhoun County School Board from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program for a fourth site: the Blountstown Middle School. It received funding for additional programming from the Department of Juvenile Justice, The Florida Arts Council, the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and the Neal Center's arts and education budget. Altogether, the program currently serves 170 students and their families. The Neal Center provides program management and supervision, service delivery, fiscal management, reporting, and grant management. 16 Court Youth Center Margaret S. Ryan Safe After School Program Las Cruces, New Mexico Contact: Irene Oliver Lewis Executive Director and Artistic Director Court Youth Center 505-541-0145 ARTaylor@zianet.com The 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant has enabled Court Youth Center to provide children, youth and families in our community with greater access to an educational arts facility and authentic arts experiences in our arts-based Safe After School program- Irene Oliver Lewis The Court Youth Center (CYC), located in an old junior high school, is home to youth and community programs in the visual and performing arts and other areas. CYC is a partnership between the schools, who own the building, and the City of Las Cruces. Together with the Las Cruces Public School District, it has established a network of seven 21st Century Community Learning Centers, expanding the Safe After School program started in 1997. The learning centers are based at the individual schools and use CYC as an off-campus laboratory and studio for programs and field trips. After-school, weekend and summer programs are designed around an arts-based and career-focused curriculum which incorporates hands-on meaningful applications of fine arts. Activities are linked to the school curriculum and are designed to assist the stu- dents in meeting or exceeding academic standards in reading, math, science, creative thinking and life skills. These avenues encourage students to become productive citi- zens in the community; learn healthy leisure alternatives that contribute to reduced drug use and violence; and strive for educational success. The ratio of staff is ten to one. The staff consists of a certified school employee of the 17 host school as the lead teacher and supervisor; six to eight parent teachers living in the neighborhoods; a CYC artistic director, after-school coordinator and six artists to inte- grate the arts into the core academic subjects; and leaders from community organiza- tions which offer training, volunteers, mentors and additional resources. Safe After School staff, CYC staff and artists are trained together to understand the concept and techniques of integrating the arts into the regular academic curriculum. Training is conducted three times a year. There are programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. At the middle school, six certified teachers and one educational assistant make up the staff. Sessions include photography, a Mars Millennium Project and mural, as well as tennis and computers. Working in a team with the teacher, a CYC artist is providing artistic guidance for the mural project. Another CYC artist has formed a theatre group. The CYC itself hosts a wide variety of other arts activities. Estompa de Mejico, a youth ballet Folklorico group at the Court Youth Center, perform at the closing ceremony for the Las Cruces, New Mexico 21st Century Community Learning Center Safe After School Program which included more than 500 participants from kindergarten to 12th grade. 18 FEDERAL PARTNERS PLAY KEY ROLE IN AFTER-SCHOOL ARTS PROGRAMS The U.S. Department ot Education The primary mission of the U.S. Department of Education is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence for all Americans. The Department encourages schools to consider including the arts as a core academic subject and as an important component of school improvement strategies. After-school activities are per- missible among a variety of ED programs such as Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities pro- gram. Arts education activities are also permissible under many programs. An important initiative of the Department is the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education (PFIE). PFIE is based on 30 years of research that finds that children learn better and are more successful in school when their families and communities are involved in their education. Composed of more than 6,100 partners — schools, busi- nesses, community groups and faith-based organizations — PFIE addresses issues, pro- vides information, expands professional development and offers opportunities for shar- ing and networking. Based at the Department, the PFIE staff organize regional and national forums and conferences on current, family-friendly policies and exemplary practices; provide the partners with comprehensive management and assessment tools; and use resources and research from a variety of sources to mobilize interest, energy and expertise through publications, a Web site, and extended technical assistance. Since 1997, the Department has supported the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program as a key component of the administration's efforts to keep children safe outside of regular school hours; to provide academic and other enrichment oppor- tunities for children; and to provide life-long learning opportunities for communities. National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is committed to advancing arts learning in this country. It works with agencies and organizations that are involved with pre- 19 kindergarten through grade 12 and youth arts at the national and state levels. For decades, the NEA has implemented partnerships with state arts agencies in the area of arts learning. Within the school setting, the Endowment recommends a sequential education in the arts for all children that is linked to content standards, taught by qualified teachers, regularly engages artists, and brings students into contact with works of art. In addi- tion, the NEA supports the arts beyond the classroom through visual arts workshops in community centers, creative writing programs in YMCAs, student-created exhibitions on local history, summer dance camps, "behind the scenes" opera programs, folk arts classes, a young professional conductors program, museum volunteer training pro- grams for senior citizens and young students, and collaborative cross-generational events including workshops, performances, exhibits and oral history projects. Staff, students, and family members at the St. Louis Public Schools' Carver Elementary 21st Century Community Learning Center celebrate the culmination of a ten-week pro- gram with Portfolio Art Gallery and Education Center. Students provided detailed infor- mation about how they developed their pottery, sculptures, and other products. 20 AFTER-SCHOOL ARTS EDUCATION RESOURCES Web Sites Americans for the Arts www.artsusa.org Americans for the Arts has produced the YouthARTS Tool Kit. Based on rigorous research, the kit features a step-by-step handbook, a video and "lessons learned" video supplement, and a diskette with sample paperwork such as contracts, evaluation forms and other materials already in use by youth arts programs. For more information, call 1-800-321-4510. Arts Education Partnership aep-arts.org The Arts Education Partnership is a coalition of over 100 national education, arts, business, philanthropic and government organizations that promote arts education and demonstrate its role in enabling all students to succeed in school, life and work. The Coming Up Taller Awards Program www.cominguptaller.org Sponsored by the NEA and the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH), the Coming Up Taller program recognizes some of the outstanding after-school, weekend and summer programs for children from at-risk communities that are cur- rently fostering the creative and intellectual development of America's youth. These awards focus national attention on concrete examples of the arts and humanities bene- fiting this country. Accompanied by a cash award, the awards not only reward these projects with recognition but also contribute financial support for their continued work. For more information on the awards program, go to PCAH's web site at http/ / www.pcah.gov. Institute of Museum and Library Services www.imls.gov This federal agency supports museums' and libraries' ability to serve the public through grants to institutions, agencies, and professional associations. 21 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts http://kennedy-center.org/education The Kennedy Center provides resources for students, educators, artists, and the public to experience and explore the arts. It has issued "The Arts Beyond the School Day: Extending the Power." Identifying essential elements of arts-based after-school pro- grams and a list of quality indicators that help describe each essential element, the report calls for submission of best practice models. For information contact kcaaen@kennedy-center.org. ARTSEDGE, a national arts and education information network, supports the place of arts education at the center of the curriculum through creative and appropriate uses of technology and helps educators to teach in, through and about the arts: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org The Mars Millennium Project www.mars2030.com Through the arts, science and technology, this project challenges students to design a future community for the planet Mars. It is a White House Millennium Council Youth Initiative, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and its Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the J. Paul Getty Trust. National Assembly of State Arts Agencies www.nasaa-arts.org Their mission is to advance a meaningful role for the arts in the lives of individuals, families and communities in all 50 states and six jurisdictions. National Endowment for the Arts www.arts.gov/learn/Facts/Artsed.html As described above, the NEA supports arts education in a variety of ways. For infor- mation on its grants programs, go to www.arts.gov. Partnership for Family Involvement in Education www.pfle.ed.gov This site has information on the partnership and how to join; a list of members; part- ner activities; and a comprehensive listing of U.S. Department of Education publica- tions on family and community involvement, including after-school programs; and other resources. 22 President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities www.pcah.gov The President's Committee was created by Presidential Executive Order to encourage private sector support and to increase public appreciation for the arts and the humani- ties through projects, publications and meetings. 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program www.ed.gov/21stcclc This Web site provides detailed information including applications, answers to fre- quently asked questions, a searchable database of grantees and much more. U.S. Department of Education www.ed.gov Find the latest news about national education issues; review education-related publica- tions and statistics; and learn about the offices and programs at the U.S. Department of Education. U.S. Department of Justice Justice for Kids and Youth Home Page www.usdoj .gov/ kidspage The U.S. Department of Justice supports after-school programs that include the arts. At this Web site, children and youth can learn about crime prevention, staying safe, volunteer and community service opportunities, and the criminal justice system. 23 Publications As you think about organizing and implementing an after-school program, you can find helpful information and other free publications through the U.S. Department of Education's Web site. To order publications, call ED Pubs, a Department service that provides publications free to the public in printed form and in alternate formats, such as Braille and large print, upon request. Call toll-free at 877-4ED-PUBS, or order online by visiting the Web site at www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html. Some of the publications available through ED Pubs that you may find helpful are: Working for Children and Families: Safe and Smart After-School Programs Keeping Schools Open as Community Learning Centers Give Us Wings, Let Us Fly Bringing Education Into the Afterschool Hours After-School Action Kit: Get Into Action After-School Programs: Keeping Children Safe and Smart A Call to Commitment: Fathers' Involvement in Children's Learning The Partnership for Family Involvement in Education: Who We Are and What We Do Other helpful publications available through other sources are: • Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning, available at www.pcah.gov. • Gaining the Arts Advantage, available by calling (202) 336-7016. • Coming Up Taller: Arts and Humanities Programs for Children and Youth at Risk, available by calling (202) 682-5409 or faxing to (202) 682-5668. • Creative Partnerships for Prevention: Using the Arts and Humanities to Build Resiliency in Youth, available through the U.S. Government Printing Office at (202) 512-1803. 24 A Thomas Tolbert Elementary stu- dent proudly shows ott the Navajo weaving that she created in the Young Audiences of Greater Dallas residency work- shop taught by fiber artist Linda Disosway. This residency is taught in an after-school program that is part of the Lights and Action Dallas Independent School District 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant. M* ,\i«»"C PARTNERSHIP for Family Involvement in Education w NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS