Expressing support for the designation of the weeks of April 10, 2022, through April 23, 2022, as "National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Weeks".

National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Weeks Whereas arts education, comprising a rich array of disciplines including dance, music, theater, media arts, literature, design, and visual arts, is an essential element of a complete and well-rounded 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; 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 Young Audiences Arts for Learning impacts over 2,345,783 participants annually with valuable arts-in-education programs; Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning presents more than 39,288 arts-in-education programs to students and teachers; Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning works with over 29,277 school educators and teaching artists; Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning produces programs in more than 2,920 schools and community centers annually; Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning encompasses 29 affiliates across the country, and the entire network of such affiliates is participating in the 2022 National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Weeks Whereas Arkansas Learning through the Arts delivered 82 arts-integrated programs to more than 6,742 students across the State of Arkansas; Whereas the Arts & Learning Conservatory joined the national Young Audiences Arts for Learning network last year; Whereas the Arts Education Collaborative in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, delivered professional learning programs to 17 partnering institutions; Whereas Arts for Learning Connecticut worked with 134,781 students in the State of Connecticut last year; Whereas Arts for Learning Indiana engaged 101 teaching artists to deliver arts-integrated programs to nearly 10,705 students in the region; Whereas Arts for Learning Maryland partnered with nearly 163 schools and community organizations in all 24 Maryland school districts to provide arts learning programs to 70,119 participants from pre-kindergarten through grade 12; Whereas Arts for Learning Miami provided more than 357 programs reaching youth from infancy through high school graduation, in collaboration with 49 partnering institutions; Whereas Arts for Learning Santa Cruz County, Arizona, provided arts-based learning programs to students throughout Santa Cruz County; Whereas Arts for Learning Virginia served nearly 86,000 students across the State of Virginia last year; Whereas Arts Partners, Wichita, Kansas, provided over 130 programs to 11,468 local students; Whereas ArtsNow Learning in Atlanta, Georgia, partnered with 67 institutions throughout the Southeast United States involving over 22,760 participants; Whereas the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning in Cleveland, Ohio, provided nearly 6,228 programs for more than 69,332 participants; Whereas Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education worked with nearly 9,950 students in 50 Chicago public schools; Whereas Kansas City Young Audiences in Missouri, the largest nonprofit arts education provider in the region, served over 13,953 students; Whereas Springboard to Learning in St. Louis, Missouri, delivered 523 programs to students in schools and community venues; Whereas Think 360 Arts for Learning in Denver, Colorado, worked with more than 6,120 students across the State; Whereas Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania provided programming to students throughout the region in collaboration with 286 schools and partnering organizations; Whereas Young Audiences New York served 25 partnering schools and institutions throughout New York City; Whereas Young Audiences of Abilene reached approximately 1,704 students last year; Whereas Young Audiences of Houston provided over 871 programs to more than 130,922 students; Whereas Young Audiences of Louisiana served more than 37,588 learners last year; Whereas Young Audiences of Massachusetts reached approximately 63,834 students in the State of Massachusetts; Whereas Young Audiences of Northeast Texas brought quality arts in education experiences to nearly 31,781 learners in northeast Texas; Whereas Young Audiences of Northern California impacted over 8,893 students in the Bay Area this past year; Whereas Young Audiences of Oregon & SW Washington partnered with 171 institutions to engage over 279,328 program participants across the region; Whereas Young Audiences of Southeast Texas partnered with schools throughout the region to deliver programming that integrates arts into all traditional areas of academic study to students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12; Whereas Young Audiences of Western New York partnered with schools and institutions to bring assembly, workshop, and long-term residency programs to the 9 counties of western New York State; and Whereas the weeks of April 10 through April 23, 2022, would be appropriate weeks to designate as National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Weeks That the House of Representatives— (1) supports the designation of National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Weeks (2) honors and recognizes the contributions which Young Audiences Arts for Learning programs have made in enriching the lives of students, teachers, volunteers, families, and communities, and pays tribute to arts in education and its contribution to society; and (3) encourages the people of the United States to observe National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Weeks

Summary: This resolution supports the designation of National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Weeks.