Advocacy & YA Week

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. 

YA Week 2021 Will Be Held March 28-April 10, 2021. This year's festivities center around celebrating digital learning innovations across the YA Network and advocating for the ongoing value of arts education for students and school communities across the country, during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, in collaboration with the Arts ARE Education campaign.  
 

> CELEBRATE
YA Week Virtual Learning Showcase 

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, YA affiliates across the country have pioneered innovative virtual learning programs and initiatives in order to continue supporting students and school communities. In celebration of YA Week, we are pleased to spotlight exemplary innovations in distance learning across the YA Network. Go >>

> ADVOCATE
Arts ARE Education

As part of YA Week, the YA Network is banding together in support of the Arts ARE Education movement. Lead by Leadership Organizations of the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS), including Young Audiences, Arts ARE Education (ARE) is a new national campaign in support of arts education for all students. 

All PreK-12 students have the right to a high-quality school-based arts education in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts taught by certified professional arts educators in partnership with community arts providers. As a well-rounded subject area under federal education law, the Every Students Succeeds Act, music and the arts support the social and emotional well-being of students, foster a welcoming and safe school environment, and encourage inclusivity through multiple pathways for every child’s creative voice.  

As states and schools work through multiple challenges in the 2021-2022 School Year and beyond, ARE is dedicated to ensuring that arts education remain central to a well-rounded education and fully funded to support the well-being of all students and the entire school community. 

Here's How You Can Get Active in Support of Arts ARE Education

• Sign the Arts ARE Education Pledge demonstrating your commitment to ensuring equitable and sustainable education in the arts, and encourage others in your community to do the same. Organizations, schools, districts, and individuals can sign the pledge. Sign on here.
   
• Encourage School Boards To Pass the Arts ARE Education Resolution, recognizing the value of arts education and their commitment to maintaining arts education programs. The Arts ARE Education Advocacy Toolkit provides great templates and resources to help make the case, mobilize advocates, and understand the school budget process. Read the Resolution here.
   

• Write Your Legislators and remind them of the importance of fully funding public education to support all students and their right to a well-rounded education. Through GovPredict, you can customize a letter to be sent to your local representatives in support of Arts ARE Education and shining a light on your affiliates impact in their district. Find your own representatives and get started here.

• For more information, please visit www.artsareeducation.org 

> SPREAD THE WORD

#YAweek  #artsAREeducation

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! 
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ABOUT YA WEEK

First championed in 1971 by conductor Leonard Bernstein, YA Week has grown into a two-week, 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 a 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.