JANUARY 2017 E-NEWS

REPORT CARD: 12/9/16 Steering Committee
Professional Development for teachers, teaching artists, and arts administrators is a priority need, as identified by IPS teachers, and this month we are bringing the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to Indianapolis to conduct training for over 150 such educators in Arts Integration. The next steps are to

1. Finalize the program plan narrative;
2. Adopt the proposed evaluation protocols;
3. Establish a budget for implementation; and
4. Develop funding strategies.

Click here to read the full Steering Committee report.

RECAP: December 2016 Mistletoe Music Festival Student Performances at the Indianapolis Artsgarden
The Arts Council of Indianapolis recently celebrated the 15th annual Mistletoe Music Festival in the Indianapolis Artsgarden with 67 school performances. Click here to read the full recap of the 2016 festival and to find out how you can get involved in 2017.

In the latest post, Brenda Johnston, Any Given Child Indy Creative Engagement committee member and Arts Administration professor at Butler University discusses how arts education can help to address some of the issues our society faces today.

She says, “Arts education in all forms helps children and people of all ages manage and share their emotions in constructive ways. The arts teach students about different cultures in a myriad of ways that help them to relate to and communicate with people from diverse backgrounds; supporting the development of a more understanding, accepting, and cohesive society.”

Click here to continue reading her commentary.

There are many ways that you can become involved with Any Given Child Indy:

1. Start a conversation (face-to-face and online)

2. Volunteer for arts education

3. Be a voice for arts education

4. Sign the Any Given Child Indy Pledge

5. Make a donation to support Any Given Child Indy

To learn more on how you can become involved,
click here.

Full STEAM Ahead in Anderson Fifth-Grade Classroom

“Many schools have started STEM programs–classes concentrating on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. But Eastside has gone one step further by maintaining some commitment to the arts, making their acronym STEAM.” Click here to read about this pilot STEAM program for fifth-graders in Anderson, Indiana.

Arts Education Reduces Stress Level of Low-Income Students

“Poverty leads to stress, which in turn leads to poorer health. Breaking this cycle is certainly a challenge, especially with children. But promising new research provides evidence of an effective, low-cost intervention: arts education.” Click here to continue reading this article by Pacific Standard.

Boston Arts Academy, the High School of the Future

“Many education leaders lament the current state of American high schools and say we need to redesign them to do better at teaching creativity, design thinking, forming and defending ideas, collaboration and effective communication, and STEM skills. But there’s a school in Boston that’s already doing all that right now: Boston Arts Academy.” Click here to read about Boston Arts Academy’s key strategies to success through high-quality arts instruction.

1. Match teachers with arts organizations
2. Engage new voices of support for arts in schools
3. End inequality in funding of arts education in Indianapolis Public Schools

• Explore the Kennedy Center’s Any Given Child Program Website
   
• Read the Kennedy Center’s Any Given Child Program Booklet