Dear Arts Education Network,
 
I hope this message finds you well. Did you know that September 11-17, 2016 is National Arts in Education Week? I write with an invitation for you and your organization to get involved.
Designated by Congress in 2010, House Resolution 275 designates the week beginning with the second Sunday in September as National Arts in Education Week. During this week, the field of arts education joins together in communities across the country to tell the story of the impact of the transformative power of the arts in education. I hope you will join us!
 
Do you want to get involved? There are a number of ways you can personally participate during the week.
1.)    Celebrate. Host celebrations across the country. Whether big or small, an existing event, or a new one. Download and use the shared logo and be sure to register your event on ArtsMeet, a national arts event calendar.
2.)    Advocate. Work with your elected officials and decision makers to share the value of the arts in education. Whether a mayor, principal, or U.S. Congressman, check out sample resolutions, videos, and the Arts Education Navigator – an online tool with six action steps to crafting a personal advocacy plan.
3.)    Participate. Share your story in the social media campaign, #BecauseOfArtsEd to bring national visibility to the issue of arts education. See below for more information. Participate in #ArtsEdChat each night at 8pm EST. Also, be sure to attend and invite friends to the Facebook Event. 
 
Interested in involving your organization? Check out our Five Ways to Partner packet for all kinds of ways to get involved through social media, hosting an event, or advocating for a resolution in your city. Email me personally, if you need help or have any questions.
 
Can you help us spread the word? Check out this document with all of the promotional material you will need (for all types of communications channels). As part of our arts education family, please send a tweet, post on Facebook, or include any or all of the festivities in your upcoming newsletter.
 
Are you interested in professional development in arts education?  We also have a webinar series and associated twitter chats during the week on ArtsU. Each day during the week of September 12-16, hear from experts about the research and strategies in specific areas of inclusion in arts education. These daily webinars will be held at 3:00 p.m. (EST) and last no more than 30 minutes. To continue the conversation, join Jeff M. Poulin (@JeffMPoulin) and special guests for an #ArtsEdChat from 8:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. (EST) by following the specified hashtag. You can either view them live or throughout the week. The topics include:
  • Monday, September 12: Changing Demographics in Education (#Demographics)
  • Tuesday, September 13: English Language Learners (#ELLchat)
  • Wednesday, September 14: Students on the Autism Spectrum (#ASD)
  • Thursday, September 15: Social and Emotional Learning (#SEL)
  • Friday, September 16: Career and Technical Education (#CTE)
 
If you have any questions or are interested in participating, please email me personally, so I can get you all set up!
 
I’m looking forward to celebrating with you!
 
My best,
Jeff 
 
 
___________________________
Jeff M. Poulin
Arts Education Program Manager
Americans for the Arts
1000 Vermont Avenue, NW, 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Media: @JeffMPoulin
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