When STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) was introduced in 2001 by the National Science Foundation, education moved the national curriculum towards nurturing students into disciplines that would develop the skills stressed in STEM. And certainly helping our students grow in the STEM areas is important. With the forever and continuous growth of technology, it is vital that we teach our children how to adapt and grow with science and technology. However, the growth of STEM has stripped our children from another vital aspect of their education: the arts. Though No Child Left Behind considered arts and arts education as an integral part of education, there is no shortage of evidence that when cuts need to happen in schools, one of the first places cut is the arts.
Arts have been repeatedly proven to provide students with skills that traditional education fails to address. On the most basic level, the fine arts produces students that have higher levels of creativity, perseverance, and confidence. Growing through courses in the different art forms forces students to struggle with their own feelings and determine ways to express those feelings in various ways. Through that struggle and discussion with classmates, students learn how to grow and empower themselves through their art.
Participating in the fine arts in school allows students to explore interests that are not always taught. Art participation has also been found to have significant impact on students’ writing, reading, and math skills. The Arts Education Partnership completed research in 2002 that found that students who were exposed to the arts performed better in standardized tests and had improved social skills; this research was completed again in 2010, and similar results were found.1
Anyone who has participated in the arts can additionally tell you that creative outlets and the teaching of creative outlets, helps develop all important life skills. By navigating through the arts, students can comfortably develop their resiliency and ability to bounce back from failure. Additionally, playing in musical groups or working on theater productions promotes group work and collaboration. While STEM classes are important in preparing our students in educational fields, the arts help develop our children in supplementary skills that will benefit them in all aspects of life.
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- Workman, E. Beyond the Core: Advancing student success through the arts (September 2017). https://www.ecs.org/wp-content/uploads/Beyond_the_Core_Advancing_student_success_through_the_arts.pdf, (accessed February 2, 2018).
