Advocacy Toolkit for Arts-Rich Learning & Community Impact
This new toolkit from Young Audiences Arts for Learning is your invitation to act—not just in defense of the arts, but in support of a more vibrant, equitable future for our schools and communities.
Whether you’re an artist, educator, parent, nonprofit leader, or simply someone who believes in the power of creativity and care, your voice matters. Here’s how to use it:
What We Mean by “Arts-Rich Learning”
Young Audiences Arts for Learning advocates for arts-rich education—a learning environment where the arts are not an afterthought, but a fundamental part of how students explore, connect, and thrive. This means:
- More access to music, visual arts, theater, media arts, and dance—especially in underfunded schools.
- More opportunity to integrate the arts across academic subjects.
- More investment in the nonprofit and community partners who make this work possible.
We believe that every student deserves a comprehensive and creative education
How to Use This Toolkit
- Find your Members of Congress. Use the directory below to identify your representatives. These are the people who vote on funding for education, the arts, and the nonprofits that uplift communities.
- Make contact. Use the sample messages below to call, email, or tag your legislators.
- Share your story. The most effective advocacy is personal. Talk about the programs, teachers, or experiences that made a difference in your life or your child’s.
FIND YOUR DISTRICT CONTACTS
Access our downloadable PDF directory, including congressional districts served by YA affiliates, with contact details for key staffers.
Sample Email to Your Representative
Dear [Member Name],
As a constituent, I’m writing to ask for your leadership in protecting access to the arts in education and ensuring strong support for the nonprofit sector.
Organizations like Young Audiences Arts for Learning—and countless others across the country—deliver arts-rich learning programs that increase student engagement, improve attendance, and strengthen school communities.
This isn’t a partisan issue. These programs serve students in both red and blue districts because families everywhere understand the value of creativity, connection, and opportunity.
I hope you’ll stand with us in supporting a future where every child has the chance to thrive through the arts. Thank you for your public service.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your City/School/Org Affiliation, if relevant]
Sample Social Post
I’m speaking up for the kind of education every child deserves—creative, complete, and community-rooted. The arts aren’t extra. They’re essential. #ArtsEd #arts4learning #AdvocacyMatters #ConstituentVoice #YAnetwork
Advocacy Tips
- Lead with who you are. Mention you’re a constituent—that’s what matters most.
- Be positive and specific. Tell a personal story. Why do the arts matter to you?
- Connect the dots. A healthy society invests in the arts, in education, in nonprofit work. These are not luxuries—they’re essential infrastructure.
- Follow up. Real change happens through sustained relationships, not one-time outreach.
For Broader Advocacy
Want to do more? These organizations offer additional resources for speaking up:
- National Council of Nonprofits – www.councilofnonprofits.org
- Arts Education Partnership – www.aep-arts.org
- Your local State Arts Council – Find them at NASAA – National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
- Americans for the Arts – www.americansforthearts.org/advocate/protect-the-nea
National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Week (YA Week)
Thank you for helping us celebrate, advocate, and spread the word about the powerful impact of arts in education during YA Week 2025, April 13 - 26!
National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Week (YA Week) is an annual advocacy and awareness initiative when the national Young Audiences Arts for Learning network (YA Network) works collectively to shine a light on the importance of the arts within a well-rounded education.
The 2025 YA Week Resolution highlights the work of the YA Network and encourages the public to recognize the important contributions the arts make to society. It emphasizes that arts education, comprising a rich array of disciplines, "is an essential element of a complete and well-rounded education for all students," providing "a well-researched and proven methodology to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students."
"As schools face renewed pressures around public education funding and priorities, it's more important than ever to celebrate the role of the arts in helping students connect, express, and thrive," said David A. Dik, National Executive Director of Young Audiences Arts for Learning. "YA Week is a time to reaffirm our steadfast commitment to arts education and leverage our collective voice to advocate at both the local and national levels."
An annual advocacy and awareness initiative first championed by conductor Leonard Bernstein in 1971, YA Week has grown into a national celebration of arts in education observed each spring.
The resources below provide guidance around how to advocate, spread the word, and make the case for arts in education during YA Week and year-round.
NEW: YA Advocacy Toolkit for Arts-Rich Learning & Community Impact
This toolkit is your invitation to act—not just in defense of the arts, but in support of a more vibrant, equitable future for our schools and communities.
NEW: Federal District Contacts Directory
Downloadable directory, including congressional districts served by YA affiliates, with contact details for key staffers.
Find Your Elected Officials
Contact your policymakers to let them know that you support arts in education and why.
YA Network Map & Impact Summary
Showcase the breadth and impact of the YA National Network with this one-page document.
Arts Ed Search
Provided by our colleagues at Arts Ed Partnership, ArtsEdSearch is the nation’s hub for research on the impact of arts education to help you make the case.
YA Week Toolkit for YA Affiliates
Please contact lauren@ya.org to request access.
Other Resources
Spread the Word on Social Media with #YAweek
Join the conversation and tell your followers why the arts are a vital part of a well-rounded education in YOUR community. Subscribe to YA's social media channels for live #YAweek coverage and be sure to like, comment, and re-share!
Facebook: Young Audiences – National
Instagram: @Young_Audiences
X: @YoungAudiences_
ABOUT YA WEEK
First championed in 1971 by conductor Leonard Bernstein, YA Week has grown into a nationwide celebration of arts-in-education. Each spring, the YA Network joins forces to raise national and local awareness about arts-in-education initiatives through public performances, special events, and other programs. YA Week is an opportunity to showcase for the network's Congressional stakeholders the great work being carried out in their districts. Individual supporters of YA and the arts are also encouraged celebrate YA Week by contacting local legislators regarding the importance of arts-in-education and showing support for the arts on social media with #YAweek.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – NEW YORK, NEW YORK – Young Audiences Arts for Learning (YA), the nation’s largest arts in education network, is proud to announce that National Young Audiences Arts for…
