Arts Education Transforms Societies

Do you enjoy the sleek look of your new iPhone? You can thank Steve Jobs for taking a calligraphy class at Reed College. Have you or your kids scribbled on a pair of Vans sneakers? Vans’ President Kevin Bailey credits the brand’s creativity with the arts education many of his employees have taken. At her promotion and swearing-in ceremony a few weeks ago, Capt. Moira McGuire, assistant chief of Integrated Health and Wellness at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, credited the arts as central to her practice as a caregiver for our wounded, returning military veterans. These are just a few of today’s leaders crediting their success to arts education:

• Arts education increases employment rates by raising high-school graduation rates. Last year, high school graduates had a 3.5 percent lower unemployment rate than those without diplomas. And when exposed to arts education, students of all backgrounds are more likely to graduate.
• Students with exposure to arts education are also more prepared for the jobs of today and those of the future. Americans for the Arts and the Conference Board’s joint “Ready to Innovate” report shows that 72 percent of business leaders say that creativity is the number one skill they look for when hiring, and a subsequent report credits arts education as key to a student gaining that creativity.
• The value of arts education extends even beyond primary school. According to Adobe, while 78 percent of college-educated Americans believe that creativity is important to their current careers.
• Arts education for adults–like taking a ceramics course, playing in a band, or even just attending performances–can positively affect job performance. And artistic hobbies matter too: Robert Root-Bernstein, a creativity researcher, consultant, and professor at Michigan State University, published research showing that having one persistent and intellectually stimulating hobby (like painting or playing an instrument) is a better predictor for career success in any discipline than IQ, standardized test scores, or grades.
•  Do you know whether your local school provides quality arts education?
• Americans for the Arts offers a toolbox–including research, questions to ask, and ways to involve the community–to equip parents, citizens and teachers to advocate for arts education in schools.

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