The second Sunday in September marks the beginning of National Arts in Education Week—a time to recognize the impact the arts have on education and students.
One organization going the extra mile for Baltimore students is Arts Every Day, which works with Baltimore County Public Schools to make sure kids have access to the arts.
Arts Every Day provides teachers with professional development on arts integration, technical assistance and funding for student art experiences, school-based public art projects, arts equipment and supplies.
“The arts really build a range of different critical thinking skills,” says Julia DiBussolo, the organization’s executive director. “They support social and emotional health, and they are crucial to building students that are ready for the 21st century job market.”
Research has indicated that arts education benefits student motivation, attitudes and attendance. According to DiBussolo, using art to connect students to their other academic subjects provides deeper engagement and understanding of the lessons—especially for children who learn differently.
DiBussolo has been the organization’s executive director for 12 years. She was moved to action from what she saw as an after-school program director.
“There were a lot of students in our after-school program that were great artists but weren’t competitive for [Baltimore] School for the Arts because they didn’t have a whole lot of opportunities at their local school,” she says.
One way Arts Every Day helps close these equity gaps is by raising money to purchase large equipment on behalf of schools. According to DiBussolo, this usually applies to big-ticket items that schools never have the budget for.
