The Zeist Foundation, dedicated to addressing the needs of underserved children through a holistic approach to human services, education, and arts & culture, has awarded a $100,000 grant to ArtsNOW. This grant will support arts-integrated professional learning at four additional metro Atlanta schools for the 2024-2025 school year.

Planning for this initiative began in the spring of 2024 when ArtsNOW collaborated with district leaders and administration. The ArtsNOW team conducted walkthroughs at each elementary school to discuss specific needs with principals and leadership teams. Based on these discussions, ArtsNOW is developing customized approaches to meet the unique needs of each school.

Thanks to the generous support from The Zeist Foundation, ArtsNOW will partner with four elementary schools:

• Hope-Hill Elementary School (Atlanta Public Schools)
• Agnes Jones Elementary School (Atlanta Public Schools)
• Usher-Collier Elementary School (Atlanta Public Schools)
• Princeton Elementary School (DeKalb County School District)

"We are thrilled to receive this generous grant from The Zeist Foundation," said Pamela Walker, ArtsNOW CEO and President. "This funding will enable us to enhance the educational experiences of students by integrating the arts into their daily learning. We look forward to working closely with these schools to implement tailored strategies to foster creativity and academic growth."

The Zeist Foundation embraces a holistic approach to address the needs of underserved children in the areas of human services, education, and arts & culture. The Foundation seeks opportunities to partner with reputable organizations that are effective, collaborative, and adaptive, aiming to improve access to and quality of opportunities so children can reach their full potential.

For more information about the ArtsNOW initiative or to learn how your school can get involved, please visit artsnowlearning.org.

About ArtsNOW:

ArtsNOW is a national non-profit that offers customized solutions to improve teacher efficacy and student results through authentic arts integration into academic content.

Media Contact:

Shenley Rountree
Director of Marketing & Development
ArtsNOW
[email protected]

ArtsNOW is honored to be highlighted in the June 2024 case study "How ArtsNOW Builds Sustainable Capacity for Arts-Integrated Learning" by the Education Commission of the States.

Click here to read the case study.

Key Lessons From Effective K-12 STEAM Education Organizations

STEAM education builds on science, technology, engineering, and math instruction by integrating arts and design learning. Research shows that arts integration in early grades promotes development in engineering, literacy, numeracy, and the arts. STEAM education has been shown to support key skills like active learning, social and emotional learning, divergent thinking, and cultural competency — offering an innovative approach to support student learning and growth.

As knowledge about the positive impact of STEAM education grows, the team at the Education Commission of the States identified three programs that are effectively administering STEAM education and demonstrating promising practices. These case studies provide in-depth information about each exemplary STEAM program, highlight promising practices, and unpack implementation details. Leaders from each program share insights and considerations from their experience. (Learn more)

The Education Commission of the states provides personalized support and services to help education leaders gain the insight and experience needed to create effective education policies.

ArtsNOW was honored to host our second annual Principals' Network Conference, February 8-9, 2024, at Embassy Suites Downtown Greenville, South Carolina. The conference provided an excellent opportunity for principals in all stages of the arts integration journey to network with colleagues, learn from other principals and leaders, and hear about opportunities for their schools. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Thursday, February 8, began with a kick-off network reception for all attendees, followed by a full day of conference sessions February 9. Executive Director of Arts Education Partnership Jamie Kasper provided opening comments to set the stage. The remainder of the day consisted of breakout sessions facilitated by principals and ArtsNOW team members, as well as an opportunity to speak with representatives from partner organizations from both Georgia and South Carolina. David A. Dik, National Executive Director of Young Audiences Arts for Learning, provided reflective closing remarks.

Over 50 administrators and educational leaders attended the conference. Thirty-six schools and 18 districts from South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama were represented. Representatives from Arts Grow SC, South Carolina Arts Commission, ABC, A+ Schools of North Carolina, and Executive Directors from Arts Education Partnership and Young Audiences Arts for Learning attended.

Every attendee strongly agreed that the conference experience was "useful and worth my time."

Here are some comments that principals shared with us:

"This was exactly what my heart needed. I now know that I'm not alone on this journey. So many resources and people to network with. The facility/venue is like a hallmark movie – just simply beautiful!"

 

"Very informative and motivating."

 

"I loved the SEL session grounding activity. We will implement this immediately. I enjoyed year two! Thank you for pouring into leaders. The cup-filling activity filled my cup!"

 

"Excellent conference! The level of kindness and generosity shown by ArtsNOW is phenomenal. I am blessed to be a part of ArtsNOW!"

 

"Great balance of policy and practice – no recommendations!"

 

"Wonderful, as usual!"

Stay tuned for dates and information for the ArtsNOW Principals' Network Conference in Winter 2025.

ArtsNOW loved the feature that Atlanta Parent Magazine did called “Arts = Smarts.” ArtsNOW President and CEO Pamela Walker was able to contribute to the story and share the relevance of arts-integrated learning for students.

Click here to read the article.