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Arts Access Initiative
Houston's Arts Access Initiative is a partnership between Young Audiences of Houston, Houston Independent School District (HISD), and numerous community organizations who support arts as a vital component of students’ cognitive, emotional, creative, and academic development. Studies show that students benefit from arts education - exposure to the arts has even been shown to reduce the student achievement gap.
Stakeholders from HISD, arts organizations, universities, businesses, and the City of Houston recently convened and commissioned the “Arts Access Initiative” 2013 – 2014 report, which provides a snapshot of the current landscape of arts education in Houston ISD. Based upon data that was gathered, students involved in the arts, no matter their background, behaved more positively and passed the STAAR at a higher rate than students having little to no access to the arts.
The majority of Houston ISD principals and teachers want students in their schools to have better access to arts education. Based on the Arts Access Initiative report, Houston Arts Access outlines three goals to supporting arts in Houston ISD schools:
- Ensure students have equal access to the arts;
- Support educators, organizations, and families in promoting the arts; and
- Create a sustainable environment for arts initiatives to grow
To learn more about the Houston Arts Access Initiative and find the research, including the Houston arts access map, go to www.artsaccessinitiative.org.