OTHER PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES

Creativity Matters: There’s an Art to Getting Older
Recent research shows that new brain cells keep developing throughout our lifespan if we stretch ourselves by getting involved in activities new to us, such as exploring new creative and artistic skills. In response, a citywide program of workshops and classes wasas  launched last year to inspire and encourage adults 50 years old and better to get involved in the arts. The class and workshop schedule for the second year of the program will be released in the Fall of 2010. Check back soon for more information about the literary, performing and visual arts experiences coming your way.

For more information contact Chelsea Greninger.

Creativity Matters is offered through a partnership with Sacramento Metropolitan Arts and the Sacramento Department of Parks & Recreation, Older Adult Services Section and is funded by the E.M. Hart Trust Fund.

Poetry Out Loud — National Poetry Recitation Contest
Poetry Out Loud is a growing nation-wide recitation contest for high school students in all schools. The students select from a large collection of historical and contemporary poetry. Recitation begins in the classroom culminating in contests that take place at the school, county, state and national levels. As part of the program, each school receives 5 hours of instruction and/or judging from regional poets, and all the required orientation and written materials. POL is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, the Sacramento County Office of Education, California Poets in the Schools, and the National Poetry Foundation.
If you are local poet interested in participating, please contact Chelsea Greninger.
If you are a high school interested in participating, please contact Maureen Gemma.
For more information about the history and success of Poetry Out Loud, log onto the Poetry Out Loud website.

InnerSpark: California State Summer School for the Arts
The California State Summer School for the Arts (InnerSpark) seeks the most talented high school-aged visual, literary, media and performing artists in California. The teenagers who are selected are designated California Arts Scholars, and attend one of the country's premier summer arts institutes on the campus of the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. InnerSpark represents a unique opportunity to spend four weeks studying and working with professional artists, writers and performers of national stature in the fields of animation, music, dance, film and video, theatre, creative writing and visual arts. For more information about InnerSpark, please visit their website.

Congressional Art Competition
In the spring of every year, the United States House of Representatives hosts a Congressional Art Competition for high school artists. Members of Congress hold contests within their districts to choose winning pieces of art by high school students, and the winning entries from all districts are displayed in the Cannon Tunnel at the U.S. Capitol for a period of one year. The winning student from each district is invited to Washington, DC for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

This year, Representatives Doris Matsui and Dan Lungren have organized contests for their districts, both co-sponsored by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. Winners of the contests in these two districts will be honored at the national ceremony in Washington DC in June, 2010.

Feel free to email the Arts Education program or call (916) 808-3979 with questions.

Resources and Updates from the Field:

Advocacy
The California Alliance for Arts Education (CAAE) promotes, supports, and advocates visual and performing arts education for preschool through post-secondary students in California schools. Visit their web site for a wealth of information about the value of arts education, funding for arts education programs and arts education policy.

CA County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA) Arts Initiative has a wealth of advocacy information at their web site.

Funding Sources

California Visual and Performing Arts Education Block Grant Funding
The State continued its support of arts education with allocations for California Public Schools through the State Visual and Performing Arts and Physical Education Block Grant Funding. Over $100 million is available through this categorical program for arts programming although the State is allowing those funds to be spent on other priorities this year if school districts choose to do so. School districts may also spend funds from other categorical pots of funding for arts programs.

Information about the current status of the funding is available through the following links:

California Alliance for Arts Education

California Department of Education

To see how schools are spending this Block Grant funding, go to The California Arts Project (TCAP) web site.

Other Funding Sources

The California Arts Council lists California funding opportunities for the arts at their web site. Click here.

California County Superintendent’s Educational Service Association (CCSESA) has a good list of possible funding sources for arts education programming at their web site.

Current Arts Education Research

California County Superintendents’ Educational Services Association Arts Initiative Research site.

Community Arts Network; current research in the community arts field

Arts Education Partnerships: Lessons Learned from One School District

Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts On Learning

Improving Arts Education Partnerships