Arts education has been a low priority in the nation's public schools for more than 30 years. In some communities, a countermovement to this dwindling presence of arts education in the schools has developed in the form of initiatives aimed at coordinating schools, cultural institutions, community-based organizations, foundations, and/or…

National data increasingly show that the prevailing model of workforce development-- job search and basic training leading to an entry-level job-- does little to promote economic self sufficiency or career progression. In the face of strong evidence that some form of post-secondary training and education is needed to support a family, there is a…