Arts in Education

Arts in Education, a major focus of the Maine Arts Commission, is a nationwide movement to provide all students with opportunities to learn in and through the arts (dance, music, theater, visual arts, creative writing). Methods for reaching this goal include providing discipline-specific, sequential learning opportunities; integrating the arts into all curricular content areas; programs in institutions and detention centers; programs in child care centers; and after-school programs.

The Maine Arts Commission supports all efforts to promote learning in the arts and through the arts.

The Arts in Education program at the Maine Arts Commission offers advocacy and research information from local and national sources, planning and technical assistance and several matching grant opportunities. The staff and advocates are available to speak to school boards, PTA/Os and at community meetings. While the program focus is pre-K-12 public school students, the staff maintains relationships with other agencies and organizations -- statewide, regional and national -- in order to develop arts learning opportunities for people of all ages in both traditional and non-traditional arenas.

The Maine Arts Commission supports two on-going grant programs in Arts in Education:

SMART: Schools Make Arts Relevant Today is designed to assist schools, arts institutions and community arts organizations, to develop arts in education projects in conjunction with artists for pre K-12 students. The intention of the program is to fund both school based and after school projects such as residencies, workshops, performances, exhibition tours, traditional arts demonstrations and mentorships that provide meaningful and lasting arts education experiences.

Early StARTS is a joint program with the Maine Arts Commission, Department of Human Services and Office of Child Care and Head Start, which is administered through the Muskie School for Public Policy. Grants support artist-led workshops for childcare providers, parents and pre-school children.