Art and Kids

Art really DOES do a kid good, according to the Americans for the Arts. And according to a new Harris Poll Survey, the majority of Americans agree. A poll taken about arts education shows that 93 percent of Americans believe that arts are vital to providing a well-rounded education for kids. And 54 percent rated the importance of arts education a "10" on a scale of one to ten.

The survey reveals the following:

• 86 percent of Americans agree that an arts education encourages and assists in the improvement of a child's attitudes toward school.



• 83 percent of Americans believe that arts education helps teach children to communicate effectively with adults and peers.



• 79 percent of Americans agree that incorporating arts into education is the first step in adding back what's missing in public education today.



• 79 percent of Americans believe that it's important enough for them to get personally involved in increasing the amount and quality of arts education.

In addition, according to the Americans for the Arts organization, young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours on three days each week through at least one full year are:

• 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement



• 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools



• 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair



• 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance



• 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem

And, if the above reasons aren't enough motivations to encourage your child to develop a love for the arts, then consider this: studies have shown that being active in art has a measurable impact on youth at risk in deterring delinquent behavior and truancy problems. The arts involvement also increases overall academic performance among those youth engaged in after-school and summer arts programs targeted toward delinquency prevention.