A recent report released by the Education Policy and Leadership Center highlights the role that arts education can play in developing a well-rounded person. In Creating Pennsylvania's Future though the Arts, researchers examined the shifts in public policy and the impact those changes have had on educational outcomes. The report recommends the collaboration of artists, arts organizations, educators, and community leaders to strengthen the educational and cultural opportunities for all ages. The programs and projects listed below support that purpose in Illinois.   

Arts-in-Education Residency Program

The application deadline to request support for artist residencies in the 2012-2013 school year is May 1, 2012. Workshops to assist in preparing a successful application will be held on March 20 and March 29. More information is available at the Illinois Arts Council website.

Arts & Foreign Language Alumni Project

Districts that have completed the planning and implementation cycle of the Arts and Foreign Program funded by Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Arts Council are eligible to participate in the Alumni Project this summer. The deadline to apply is April 4, 2012. An application workshop will be held on March 21. Access to the request for proposal is available at the  Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages website.

The Arts & Education Exchange

This new state-wide resource, developed by Arts Alliance Illinois, is designed to link educators and arts providers. Educators create profiles and programming requests to which arts providers can respond. Arts providers upload examples and media of programming they can provide. Participation is free; the Exchange can be accessed at: artseducationexchange.org.

ArtLook

ArtLook was recently launched by Ingenuity Incorporated and maps arts resources in Chicago Public Schools. With data provided by Chicago Public Schools and the Arts & Education Exchange, the interactive resource shows the availability of arts resources by neighborhood, school, and art form. Learn more and visit ArtLook at: ingenuity-inc.org/artlookmap