IV 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 316 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 20, 2023 Ms. Velázquez (for herself, Mr. Johnson of Georgia , Ms. Adams , and Ms. Bonamici ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of the week of April 9, 2023, through April 15, 2023, as National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Week .

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 arts education provides a well-researched and proven methodology to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students, especially for English language learners and students with special needs; 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 4,298,935 participants annually with valuable arts-in-education programs; Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning presents more than 101,630 arts-in-education programs to students and teachers; Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning works with over 32,436 school educators and teaching artists; Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning produces programs in more than 3,408 schools and community centers annually; Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning encompasses 30 affiliates across the country, and the entire network of such affiliates is participating in the 2023 National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Week ; Whereas Young Audiences New York implemented over 330 programs serving 35 partnering schools and institutions in all five boroughs of New York City, including 197 integrated residency programs steeped in arts learning and arts integration practices in such areas as music, dance, visual and design arts, theater, media arts, and technology in predominantly Title I public school settings exploring teaching and learning pedagogy addressing the needs of all students; Whereas Young Audiences of Western New York partnered with schools and institutions impacting 16,292 student learners in 9 counties of western New York State integrating the arts into such areas as STEM, language arts, social studies, character education environmental awareness, health, and nutrition; Whereas Arkansas Learning through the Arts delivered 227 arts-integrated programs to more than 6,071 students across the State of Arkansas; Whereas the Arts & Learning Conservatory joined the national Young Audiences Arts for Learning network last year, impacting over 1000 students throughout southern California; Whereas the Arts Education Collaborative in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, delivered professional learning programs to 30 partnering institutions; Whereas Arts for Learning Connecticut worked with 95,225 students in the State of Connecticut last year; Whereas Arts for Learning Indiana engaged 129 collaborating partners to deliver arts-integrated programs to nearly 24,591 students in the region; Whereas Arts for Learning Maryland partnered with nearly 252 schools and community organizations in all 24 Maryland school districts to provide arts learning programs to 91,454 participants from pre-kindergarten through grade 12; Whereas Arts for Learning Miami provided more than 64 programs reaching youth from infancy through high school graduation, in collaboration with 58 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 45,547 students across the State of Virginia last year; Whereas Arts Partners, Wichita, Kansas, provided over 613 programs to 26,655 local students; Whereas ArtsNow Learning in Atlanta, Georgia, partnered with 118 institutions throughout the Southeast United States involving over 26,655 participants; Whereas the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning in Cleveland, Ohio, provided nearly 7,112 programs for more than 95,140 participants; Whereas Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education worked with 8,342 students in 63 Chicago public schools; Whereas Kansas City Young Audiences in Missouri, the largest nonprofit arts education provider in the region, served over 43,573 students; Whereas Springboard to Learning in St. Louis, Missouri, delivered 743 programs to students in schools and community venues; Whereas Think 360 Arts for Learning in Denver, Colorado, worked with more than 6,919 students across the State; Whereas Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania provided programming to students throughout the region in collaboration with 425 schools and partnering organizations; Whereas Young Audiences of Abilene reached approximately 3,414 students last year; Whereas Young Audiences of Houston provided over 1,497 programs to more than 331,681 students; Whereas Young Audiences of Louisiana served more than 35,380 learners last year; Whereas Young Audiences of Massachusetts reached approximately 31,242 students in the State of Massachusetts; Whereas Young Audiences of Northeast Texas brought quality arts in education experiences to nearly 33,942 learners in northeast Texas; Whereas Young Audiences of Northern California impacted over 26,107 students in the Bay Area this past year; Whereas Young Audiences of Oregon & SW Washington partnered with 158 institutions to engage over 105,604 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 Lubbock (Texas) joined the Young Audiences Arts for Learning national network in November 2022; and Whereas the week of April 9 through April 15, 2023, would be an appropriate week to designate as National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Week : Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1) supports the designation of National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Week ; (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 Week with appropriate ceremonies and activities that promote awareness of the role that arts in education plays in enriching the education of young people and enriching United States society as a whole.