PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE ON THE ARTS, HUMANITIES EXPANDS PROGRAM

"The Turnaround Arts program has exceeded not just our expectations, but our wildest hopes and dreams," said First Lady Michelle Obama, who is honorary chair of the committee on the arts and humanities. "With the help of this program and some school improvement grants, math and reading scores have gone up in these schools, attendance is up, enrollment is up, parent engagement is up, suspensions have plummeted, and two of the schools in our pilot improved so dramatically that they are no longer in turnaround status. And today, the students in these schools are engaged in their education like never before."

> read more http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/president-s-committee-on-the-arts-humanities-expands-program

PRINCIPLE FIRES SECURITY GUARDS TO HIRE ART TEACHERS AND TRANSFORMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

One student comments: “There's no one particular way of doing something,” he said. “And art helps you like see that. So if you take that with you, and bring it on, it will actually help you see that in academics or anything else, there's not one specific way you have to do something.”

> Read/Watch the story here: http://dailynightly.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/01/18005192-principal-fires-security-guards-to-hire-art-teachers-and-transforms-elementary-school?fb_action_ids=10201095002525993&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_ref=AddThis_Blogs&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map={%2210201095002525993%22%3A665265983488877}&action_type_map={%2210201095002525993%22%3A%22og.recommends%22}&action_ref_map={%2210201095002525993%22%3A%22AddThis_Blogs%22}

TOP 10 SKILLS CHILDREN LEARN FROM THE ARTS

Washington Post - "You don’t find school reformers talking much about how we need to train more teachers in the arts, given the current obsession with science, math, technology and engineering (STEM), but here’s a list of skills that young people learn from studying the arts. They serve as a reminder that the arts — while important to study for their intrinsic value — also promote skills seen as important in academic and life success. (That’s why some people talk about changing the current national emphasis on STEM to STEAM.) This was written by Lisa Phillips is an author, blog journalist, arts and leadership educator, speaker and business owner. To learn about Lisa’s book, “The Artistic Edge: 7 Skills Children Need to Succeed in an Increasingly Right Brain World,” click here. This appeared on the ARTSblog, a program of Americans for the Arts."

> READ ARTICLE

1. creativity
2. confidence
3. problem solving
4. perseverance
5. focus
6. non-verbal communication
7. receiving constructive feedback
8. collaboration
9. dedication
10. accountability