Fifth annual Arts Education Forum

The State of Arts Education in Seattle Public Schools
Take part in an evening devoted to strengthening arts in our city schools. Learn about the first year of the city of Seattle's Arts Education Partnership Initiative with the school district. Hear about next steps for putting the arts back in education.

Thursday, October 30, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Dessert and Coffee Reception: 8:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Seattle Asian Art Museum, Volunteer Park
1400 East Prospect St.

Featured speakers include Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson, Chief Academic Officer Carla Santorno and District Manager of Visual and Performing Arts Carri Campbell. Enjoy visual art and performances by Seattle students.

Children welcome. Free supervised arts activities and pizza provided for school-age children. To sign up, call (206) 684-7372 by Monday, October 27.

The forum is presented by the Seattle Arts Commission, Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and Seattle Public Schools.

City, district form Arts Education Partnership Initiative

As we documented in a 2005 survey, Seattle's arts community provides arts education opportunities for thousands of Seattle's young people in and out of school. The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs not only supports arts training for youth, we advocate for arts for all students in Seattle Public Schools.

We have established an arts education partnership with the Seattle school district. Our shared vision is a comprehensive and equitable arts education program that fosters every child's creative capacities. In 2007, we assisted in the hiring of a new district manager of visual and performing arts to provide innovative leadership and strengthen arts education district wide.

This heralded a capacity-building initiative between our office and the district to increase equity of access to arts in schools and integrate arts into district strategies for increasing student success. The Mayor and City Council approved $100,000 in the 2008 city budget to seed this initiative.