Celebrate Arts in
Education Week!

Tell Your Legislator Why Arts Education
                             Matters to You

Did you know that September 12-18, 2010 is Arts in Education Week?

The Massachusetts Legislature has joined the U.S. Congress in designating September 12-18, 2010 as Arts in Education Week. The US House resolution was promoted by Carol Channing and Harry Kullijian and sponsored by CA representative Jackie Speier. The MA resolution was sponsored by Senator Robert O'Leary of Barnstable and Representative Martha Walz of Boston, co-chairs of the Joined Committee on Education. Read the full text of the resolution here.

The MA Cultural Council, along with MA Advocates for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities, and Arts|Learning, encourages you to contact national and state legislators who set education policy and share with them how the arts are inspiring students and improving schools across the Commonwealth and the nation. If you need help making the case, MCC & Arts|Learning have plenty of great advocacy resources to tap.

And don't forget that it's election season, the best time to remind candidates for state office that the arts are vital to a complete education both in school and after school.

To find your current state and national policy makers, check out the AFTA website.

Thank you,

Celeste Wilson, Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences & Humanities

Jonathan Rappaport, Arts|Learning

Anita Walker, Massachusetts Cultural Council

The Linde Family Foundation is initiating a new Arts Education Initiative for youth-serving programs in Boston. The Initiative will offer two-year grants of up to $25,000 per year to up to 10 projects. The Foundation invites you to review the application instructions on the Mott Philanthropic website.

EdVestors is pleased to issue this Call for Concept Papers for school improvement projects in Boston.  With a single, three-page concept paper, applicants can apply for consideration for a two-year grant from EdVestors for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years.  This begins the selection process for inclusion as a grantee in EdVestors 2011 Investment Portfolio, including those invited to present at the annual Urban Education Investment Showcase held each year in April.  The Foundation expects to award up to 10 grants of roughly $100,000 over two years ($50,000 per year).