At ArtsNOW, we believe every student deserves the chance to learn in ways that combine knowledge with creativity. Across the country, many people are familiar with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education as a way to prepare students for a fast-changing, technology-driven world.

But, when we add the “A” for Arts to create STEAM, what difference does it make?

STEM: The “How It Works” Approach

STEM provides a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering, and math. Students gain tools to solve problems, analyze data, and apply evidence-based reasoning. For example, they might build a weather balloon and study the data it collects.

STEAM: The “How We Innovate” Approach

STEAM takes everything valuable about STEM and adds creativity, design, and human-centered thinking. By integrating the arts, STEAM invites students to imagine new possibilities, communicate ideas effectively, and work collaboratively.

In practice, that same weather balloon project might expand to include designing the balloon’s look, creating a presentation about the mission, and producing a video to share results. This version of the project teaches innovation alongside technical knowledge.

Whether a student is drawn to coding, experiments, or problem-solving, or thrives through artistic expression, collaboration, and imagining new possibilities, STEAM benefits every type of learner. By blending hands-on discovery with creativity, students of all interests can explore, innovate, and grow through STEAM.

The Design Connection

Both STEM and STEAM use the Engineering Design Process, a cycle of imagining, planning, creating, testing, and improving. This mirrors the way artists refine their work through sketches, drafts, or rehearsals.

Adding the arts shows students that problem-solving and creativity follow the same process: try, reflect, revise, and grow.

Why It Matters

For educators: STEAM offers multiple entry points for diverse learners, ensuring that both logical and creative thinkers are engaged.

For families: STEAM can reveal hidden strengths in children, whether that’s persistence in problem-solving or confidence in creative expression.

For community and business leaders: STEAM prepares future leaders with the ability to innovate, collaborate, and adapt. These skills are essential to every profession.

Key Takeaways

Both STEM and STEAM equip students for the future through hands-on, real-world learning.

The arts transform education into a dynamic, engaging, and human-centered experience. By blending creativity with academic knowledge, arts integration brings  the “A” into STEAM and helps students think critically, communicate effectively, and solve problems in innovative ways. They provide a foundation of soft skills, like collaboration, empathy, and adaptability, that are just as important as technical expertise in today’s rapidly changing world.

At ArtsNOW, we see STEAM as a powerful way to prepare young minds for the future, equipping them with the ability to innovate, adapt, and create in a world that demands both knowledge and creativity.

ArtsNOW offers professional learning opportunities for educators that provide engaging STEAM strategies directly aligned to content standards! Connect with us to learn how to get started.

Your donation can make a direct impact on bringing STEAM to life for a student. You can send a student to STEAM Saturday or Summer Camp, provide a hands-on learning kit, or an experience for a classroom. Explore our Impact Catalog to see the many ways your support can spark curiosity and creativity.

ArtsNOW loved the feature from Atlanta Parent Magazine called “ARTlanta: A Hub for Creativity and Learning.” ArtsNOW President and CEO Pamela Walker was featured throughout the article, sharing the relevance and impact of arts-integrated learning for all students. She also showed how the arts are a foundation for soft skills, such as critical thinking and collaboration. 

Click here to read the article.

As we reflect on a year of growth and creativity, we’re deeply grateful for your support. If you’re making end-of-year giving decisions, we hope you’ll consider ArtsNOW among your final gifts this season.

As the year comes to a close, it’s time to embrace the spirit of generosity and make a meaningful impact through end-of-year giving. This period is ideal for individuals, families, and businesses to give back to causes they care about deeply. This is a powerful time for nonprofits, with nearly one-third of giving happening in December across the entire sector.

No matter how you choose to give to ArtsNOW, each gift translates into hands-on arts experiences, teacher support, and resources that help students build creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration skills.

Why Year-End Giving Matters

Across the country, year-end generosity sustains nonprofits. For many organizations, December donations account for 30-40% of one-time online gifts. That surge funds immediate needs and helps set the stage for the year ahead.

At ArtsNOW, your end-of-year gift ensures that young minds have access to arts-integrated learning. It also gives us the momentum to start the new year strong and ready to bring innovative arts experiences into more classrooms.

Tax Benefits of Giving Before December 31

Timing matters. To receive a charitable tax deduction for the year, donations must be made on or before December 31. Online gifts are the fastest way to ensure your gift is processed on time.

If you’re giving through a donor-advised fund or stock transfer, plan ahead as these methods can take extra time to complete. By making your gift before the deadline, you may be eligible for certain tax advantages while also fueling work that directly impacts students. We encourage you to consult your financial advisor or financial institution to understand how giving may benefit your personal situation.

What Your Gift Makes Possible

Every contribution, no matter the size, drives real impact. With our Impact Catalog, you have the power to choose the impact you want to make. Each gift in the catalog is an opportunity to give with purpose.  There are opportunities at every level to spark imagination and innovation. No matter the size, your gift helps ignite a lifelong love of learning and the arts.

• Inspire Students - Every gift to ArtsNOW fuels creativity and learning. Your support reaches students directly through arts-integrated experiences and empowers teachers to inspire them in lasting ways. We invite you to make a difference in students’ lives, just as the arts may have shaped your own.
• Empower Educators - You can help empower educators to teach in ways that reach every learner. Whether through hands-on workshops, school-based coaching, or collaborative planning sessions, your gift fuels professional learning that transforms classrooms.
• Enrich Classrooms - Materials and supplies make a difference by turning ideas into experiences and lessons into lasting memories. You hold the power to put high-quality tools directly into the hands of students and teachers. From arts-integrated classroom kits to supply grants, your gift helps create learning environments where imagination, exploration, and expression are part of every day.

Your generosity ensures that classrooms remain places where creativity thrives and students are prepared with the skills they need for the future.

Giving That Works

When you choose to make a year-end gift to ArtsNOW, you join a community of donors across the nation who step up in December to make the biggest difference.

Together, we can close the year with strength and open the next one with promise.

How to Give

• Online: Make a fast, secure gift through our website by December 31. One-time, monthly, and annual options are available.
• Impact Giving: View our 2025 Impact Catalog here and choose a gift that speaks to you. To request a print version of the catalog, please email [email protected].
• By Mail: Send a check dated by December 31 to 2905 Premiere Parkway, Suite 125, Duluth, GA 30097.
• Donor-Advised Fund, Qualified Contribution, or Stock Gift: Contact your fund manager or broker soon to meet year-end processing deadlines.

Make a Lasting Impact with ArtsNOW

End-of-year giving is a way to directly shape the opportunities students have in their classrooms. By giving today, you’re ensuring that creativity, equity, and innovation remain at the heart of education.

Join us before December 31 and help transform learning through the power of the arts.

Donate Now

Every September, National Arts in Education Week reminds us that the arts are essential in education. At ArtsNOW, we are focused on integrating the arts into academic content. We want students to benefit from the arts in every classroom, not just fine arts classrooms.

Everyday, we see how the arts strengthen teaching and learning, helping young minds think critically, collaborate effectively, and connect their learning to the world around them. The arts illuminate learning, and this week provides us with the opportunity to spotlight their power and advocate for arts education in every classroom.

Whether you’re an educator, a family member, a supporter, or someone who simply believes in the power of the arts, you have a role you can play in advancing this message. Here are some meaningful ways you can advocate for the arts during National Arts in Education Week:

1. Share Your Story

Teachers can share an example of how arts-integrated learning has influenced student engagement or confidence in their classroom. Post on social media. Include it in your classroom or school email newsletter to parents. Volunteer to present at conferences and tell others about the power of arts integration. 

2. Connect with Policymakers

Reach out to your local and state representatives to express why funding for arts-integrated learning is critical. Even a brief email highlighting how the arts prepare students with 21st-century skills, such as creativity, communication, and critical thinking, can influence decisions.

What your email should do:

• Open with purpose. Name National Arts in Education Week and state that you are writing in support of ArtsNOW and the movement of arts-integrated learning.
• Establish who you are. Share your connection to ArtsNOW.
• Ground it in evidence. Reference credible research and local policy context so your request lands as essential, not optional. (See Section 3 with Quick Talking Points!)
• Make a clear, specific ask for the legislator to champion arts in education initiatives, and to support ArtsNOW, during National Arts in Education Week and beyond.

How to Find Your Legislators

Georgia

• Use the Georgia General Assembly’s official site: https://www.legis.ga.gov/members
• You can search by your address or county to find both your Georgia House and Senate representatives.

South Carolina

• Visit the South Carolina State Legislature’s website: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/legislatorssearch.php
• Enter your address or select your district to identify your state legislators.

National (U.S. Congress)

• Use the official Congress lookup tool: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
• Input your ZIP code to find your U.S. Senators and Representatives in the House.

3. Celebrate Educators and Students

Use this week to spotlight educators who champion the arts in schools. A simple thank-you note, a social media shout-out, or a public acknowledgment can go a long way. Recognition not only affirms their work but also builds momentum for stronger, lasting support of arts education.

4. Amplify on Social Media

Help spread the impact of arts education by resharing ArtsNOW’s content throughout National Arts in Education Week. We’ll be posting stories, statistics, and highlights on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, sharing inspiring classroom moments to measurable outcomes in teacher and student growth. Every repost, story share, or like extends the reach of ArtsNOW’s work, inspires others to engage, and amplifies the transformative power of arts education.

5. Start the Conversation Locally

Discuss with parents, school leaders, and community members the importance of arts in education. Advocacy often begins in small conversations that ripple outward. By sharing evidence of student growth, teacher retention, and engagement, you help reshape how communities view the role of the arts in learning.

Talking Points & Statistics:

One of the most powerful forms of advocacy is sharing evidence. Here are a few key findings of ArtsNOW’s impact that you can use in conversations, emails, or social media.

• A 2025 study by the University of South Carolina’s Research, Evaluation, and Measurement (REM) Center examined ArtsNOW’s work across 47 schools and 806 educators.
  • Eight out of ten teachers reported that ArtsNOW increased their confidence in teaching and influenced their decision to remain in the profession
  • 95% of teachers reported increased student engagement
  • 90% of educators reported a positive impact on classroom climate.
• Since 2006, ArtsNOW has reached 616 schools in 71 school districts, reaching 99,212 educators and 448,923 students.

These talking points are designed to ground your advocacy in data and credibility while showing the scale of impact already achieved.

Your voice matters.
National Arts in Education Week is more than a celebration. It's a call to action. With your support, we can ensure that every student, regardless of where they live, has access to meaningful, creative learning experiences that prepare them for a thriving future.

Make an Impact, One Gift at a Time

One of the most immediate ways you can support this movement is through ArtsNOW’s Impact Gifts. These gifts transform advocacy into action. $100 can provide a student with a full-day STEAM Saturday experience, $750 can sponsor a teacher’s personalized coaching, and $50,000 could sponsor a school for an entire year! During National Arts in Education Week, we invite you to make an Impact Gift that fuels creativity, strengthens achievement, and ensures nearly half a million students continue to benefit from the power of arts-integrated learning. Please visit /artsnow.betterworld.org/campaigns/impact-giving to get started with your Impact Gift!