Creative youth development (CYD) is a dynamic area of community arts education that successfully bridges youth development and arts education. CYD is an intentional, holistic practice that combines hands-on artmaking and skill building in the arts with development of life skills to support young people in successfully participating in adolescence…

As seen in the previous section (EJ1039315) writing about teaching practice is more than simply reporting about what was done and in what order. When teachers zoom in closely to highlight the feel and tone of one particular classroom moment, lesson, or project, they create a microcosm in which many aspects of the individual teaching values,…

In this article, the author reflects on the transformative power of arts experience. The author shares the story of her work in an arts-integrated elementary school in Arizona. She demonstrates how drama strengthens the reading comprehension skill inference. She mentions how the students are actively participating in the lesson. They are learning…

The Afterschool Alliance and MetLife Foundation are proud to celebrate a fifth round of the MetLife Foundation Afterschool Innovator Awards. For the past five years, we have collaborated to highlight the work of quality afterschool programs that support children, families and communities across the nation. This compendium is a compilation of four…

What happens when teams from 57 cities building afterschool systems gather to discuss two key system responsibilities--improving afterschool programs and using data for informed decision-making? Lots of rich discussion. This report covers a national afterschool conference held in February 2013. It details what mayors, program providers, system…

Developing learning experiences around real-world scenarios engages students in hands-on, authentic learning that promotes skills such as: research methods, collaboration, workplace skills, persistence, information organization and application, and self-reflection practice. The final work, new skills, and knowledge may then be demonstrated to an…

In a time of educational budget cuts, the arts seem to take the major brunt of the financial ax. Fine arts programs are often pitted against one another for survival. The music industry and supporting corporations, such as American Express, campaign to have instruments donated or purchased to keep educational programs alive. The visual arts do not…

Describes how junior high school students in Arizona combine what they have learned in ceramic history class with ceramic production skills to create their own personal ceramic heads in their images. (KM)

The intent of this document is to provide local school districts with a guide to current knowledge in the visual arts, such that by using the guide, districts should be able to develop their own curriculum documents tailored to the needs of their students. The basic premise of the guide is that each student in the state of Arizona should have…