IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 149 

Expressing support for designation of the week of March 15, 2015, through 

March 21, 2015, as National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Week. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 13, 2015 

Ms. SLAUGHTER (for herself and Ms. BONAMICI) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for designation of the week of March 

15, 2015, through March 21, 2015, as National Young 

Audiences Arts for Learning Week. 

Whereas arts education, comprising a rich array of disciplines 

including dance, music, theatre, media arts, literature design, and visual arts, is a core academic subject and an 

essential element of a complete and balanced education 

for all students; 

Whereas arts education enables students to develop critical 

thinking and problem solving skills, imagination and creativity, discipline, alternative ways to communicate and 

express feelings and ideas, and cross-cultural understanding, which supports academic success nationwide as 

well as personal growth outside the classroom; 


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•HRES 149 IH 

Whereas the nonprofit arts sector is an economic engine and 

plays a significant role in the economic health of communities large and small with direct expenditures of wages 

and benefits as well as goods and services; 

Whereas to succeed in today’s economy, students must masterfully use words, images, sounds, and movement to 

communicate; 

Whereas the Young Audiences Arts for Learning impacts 

more than 5,000,000 school children annually with valuable arts-in-education programs; 

Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning presents more 

than 79,000 arts in education programs to students and 

teachers; 

Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning works with over 

4,500 professional teaching artists; 

Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning produces programs in more than 8,900 schools and community centers annually; 

Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning encompasses 30 

affiliates across the country, including 25 participating 

affiliates for 2015 National Young Audiences Arts for 

Learning Week; 

Whereas Young Audiences of Rochester, established in 1962, 

is upstate New York’s oldest and most comprehensive 

arts-in-education organization, working with over 

118,000 students this past year; 

Whereas Arts for Learning Indiana offered new career development courses and worked with over 107,000 students 

in 2014; 


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•HRES 149 IH 

Whereas Arts for Learning Miami provided 300 in-depth artist residencies at more than 40 schools, with programming reaching youth from infancy through high school 

graduation; 

Whereas Arts for Learning, Woodruff Arts Center Atlanta, 

now in its 30th year, provided 1,400 performances, workshops, and residencies to 200,000 students; 

Whereas Arts Partners, Wichita, Kansas offered almost 

1,000 programs to 22,000 students; 

Whereas Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education worked 

with 3,500 students in 50 Chicago Public Schools; 

Whereas COMPAS, St. Paul, in its 46th year, provided creative opportunities for 55,000 students; 

Whereas Center for Arts-Inspired Learning, Ohio provided 

5,700 programs for 220,000 children; 

Whereas Kansas City Young Audiences, Missouri, the largest 

nonprofit arts education provider in the region, serving 

over 114,000 students; 

Whereas Think 360 Arts for Learning, Denver worked with 

almost 25,000 kids across metro-Denver; 

Whereas Young Audiences Maryland partnered with every 

school district in the State to provide programs to almost 

180,000 students; 

Whereas Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania provided programming to 711 schools serving over 

400,000 students; 

Whereas Young Audiences New York worked with 170,000 

across New York City; 


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•HRES 149 IH 

Whereas Young Audiences of Houston hosted the Houston 

Arts Partners conference for 870 participants, and provided programs to almost 10,000 kids; 

Whereas Young Audiences of Louisiana opened its first charter school in 2013, providing a creative educational setting for 400 creative learners; 

Whereas Young Audiences of Massachusetts expanded its Horizons Through Music program, offering music and literacy programs to 150 homeless preschoolers; 

Whereas Young Audiences of Northeast Texas’ 47 teaching 

artists presented 105 programs to 25,000 students across 

18 counties in northeast Texas; 

Whereas Young Audiences of Oregon & SW Washington celebrated its 55th year by partnering with schools to provide 

programs to over 300,000 students across the region; 

Whereas Young Audiences of Northern California provided 

programs to more than 24,000 students this past year 

and continued to expand its peer mentorship program; 

Whereas Young Audiences of San Diego served over 50,000 

students in 120 schools, and continued to grow its Military Family Arts Connection program; 

Whereas Young Audiences of Southeast Texas reaches over 

28,000 children with arts-in-education programs each 

year; 

Whereas Young Audiences of Virginia, serving over 170,000 

students, recently finished collaborating with school districts to redesign in-school programs and strengthen professional development; 


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•HRES 149 IH 

Whereas Young Audiences of Western New York worked 

closely with 100 young people, all of whom had experienced difficulties in their school or communities; and 

Whereas the week of March 15, 2015, through March 21, 

2015, would be an appropriate week to designate as National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Week: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of National Young 

3 Audiences Arts for Learning Week; 

4 (2) honors and recognizes the contributions 

5 which Young Audiences Arts for Learning programs 

6 have made in enriching the lives of students, teach7 ers, volunteers, families, and communities and pays 

8 tribute to arts in education and its contribution to 

9 society; and 

10 (3) encourages the people of the United States 

11 to observe National Young Audiences Arts for 

12 Learning Week with appropriate ceremonies and ac13 tivities that promote awareness of the role that arts 

14 in education plays in enriching the education of 

15 young people and enriching United States society as 

16 a whole. 

Æ 


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