People and Events
New Program Connects Baltimore Students with Arts
By USBE
Nov 11, 2008, 14:45

Arts Every Day launched a new program and website to help Baltimore City teachers identify artists and organizations that can supplement classroom education and provide cultural experiences. The program was celebrated at Mount Royal Elementary/Middle School and hosted by Baltimore City Public Schools CEO, Dr. Andrés Alonso. In attendance were more than 200 arts, community and business leaders, including Career Communications Group Publisher and CEO Tyrone Taborn, who serves on the Arts Every Day Board of Directors.

Through the new website educators can access a comprehensive database of arts-related activities, cultural organizations, programs, and artists that provide arts and cultural education and experiences for young people. Classroom teachers and school administrators can also find easy-to-follow guides for how to integrate arts activities in the classroom.

The Arts Every Day website is a comprehensive resource for parents seeking regional arts and cultural activities for their children. The organization’s database contains hundreds of events and programs from dozens of institutions. It also incorporates the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance’s Fun Guide, where parents can sign up for half price ticket offers.

“Arts education is a crucial, but too often overlooked, part of a child’s education,” said Arts Every Day Executive Director Joan Weber. “Arts Every Day makes it easy for teachers to embrace the arts community and all the resources it provides to enrich classroom lessons with engaging, creative arts programming.”

Arts Every Day was created to support the arts as a valuable educational tool by encouraging arts integration in schools and by being an advocate for arts teachers. By providing information about how educational goals can be achieved with complementary arts activities, the organization bridges the gap between the education and arts communities in Baltimore.

Said Joan Weber, “When educators make arts a companion to traditional academics, students engage multiple skills and abilities. Arts integration also accommodates different styles of learners, providing an interactive component to accompany and provide context for classroom instruction. The arts transform the learning environment, making schools places for discovery.”

Arts Every Day is supported by the Ford Foundation, City of Baltimore, Baltimore City Public Schools, and individual donations.

Arts Every Day is leading a collaborative effort to build relationships between the arts community and Baltimore City schools and parents. Through its comprehensive database, the nonprofit is the first organization in the region to provide parents and educators with easy access to arts and cultural offerings geared toward children in the Baltimore area. Arts Every Day also provides the arts and cultural education community with information to ensure that their programming supports school curriculum. As a result, teaching and learning through the arts better supports academic achievement.

For more about Arts Every Day and to locate community arts programming, visit  www.artseveryday.org