When arts integration (especially through this expanded view) is implemented by educators, artists, and institutions, extensive evidence shows - particularly in the scholarly fields of social justice youth development that youth have a deeper understanding of self, their community, and the world within which they live.
Read moreEmploying Our Adaptive Impact Plan
An adaptive impact plan is created through a deliberate planning process that addresses the reciprocity between mission and programming through the eyes of the stakeholders at every level. It combines tactical flexibility with practical mission application, and is driven by choice. The planning process is centered on the organization’s constituents and it begins with and returns to the organization’s mission, vision, and values.
Read moreBRIDGING: Professional Identities in Arts & Cultural Education: “Arts Hybrids” as Cultural Knowledge Brokers
In a world of specialists and standardized job titles, society writ large fails to recognize that innovation is often sparked at the intersections of domains - squarely in the sweet spot where many of us in the arts & cultural education ecosystem constantly find ourselves. We are multihyphenates.
Read moreThe Value of Multiple Perspectives in Advocacy
This article explores the meaning of perspective in making the case for the arts and arts education. It underscores the importance of advocacy that sees the larger system while working within a local context. Three perspectives are described which are most often represented in arts, culture, and arts education advocacy: “practitioner advocate,” “field-builder advocate,” and “policy advocate.” Each group has its constituents, ranging from teachers to corporate citizens to national advocacy coalitions. Effective advocacy is accomplished by understanding first where you are, then embracing perspectives beyond your own. Using the metaphor of being in the balcony or on the dance floor to describe the vantage points of different perspectives, the article makes the point that it is time for casemakers and systems-changers to combine their perspectives to drive the changes they wish to see in the creative education of our youth. The article concludes with four recommended strategies and guiding questions for connecting multiple points of view, enabling everyone’s ability to see the bigger picture while acting locally: Enhance your perspective; own your expertise; embrace learning; and commit to action.
Read moreThe Power of the Individual in Advocacy
As the individual is the heart of advocacy, advocacy is always personal. It starts with us, with our unique inherent beliefs and biases. How we translate these beliefs and biases can be tactical, so we must understand how to personally engage with them, such as: What stories am I telling? How can I use social media? Which words do I use? What relationships am I forming?
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