Guaranteed Arts Experiences for every public school child, K-12

The city of Atlanta, the city of Miami, and others have dedicated funding that provides arts experiences for children. For example, the city of Atlanta offers the Cultural Experience Project, which guarantees one free arts experience – including transportation- each year for K-12 students in the Atlanta Public School System. Over 50,000 students each year receive FREE tickets and FREE transportation paid for by the Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs, and each grade level attends a different experience (the symphony, the art museum, the theater, the history center, the botanical gardens, the ballet, etc.) By the time students reach 12th grade, they have attended thirteen different arts experiences. This is a huge investment in the arts- it helps students to gain an understanding of where the cultural arts institutions are in their city, offers diverse and rich educational arts experiences, and gives students a brand new experience every year that ties to their curriculum standards, helping them make stronger learning connections. The arts organizations are able to offer widespread discounts to the city because they are booking groups in bulk (less work for them to market and recruit audiences). Because local arts organizations are showcased at the heart of this method, this funding contributes to the survival of those organizations and as well as the local economy. It’s a win-win for the arts, the kids, and the city.

Janice 0