Despite decades of research, arts education is still treated as a “nice-to-have” when education budgets allow. From 2015 to 2019, the conducted a four-year study across 1,700 New York City public schools serving over 1.1 million students. They found that schools offering music and arts programming had lower rates of chronic absenteeism and higher overall school-day attendance than those that didn’t. Similarly, a found that dropout rates fell from 30% to just 6% among students participating in consistent arts programming.

Clearly, the arts are a for academic engagement, resilience and, most importantly, graduation. For example, after tracking more than 22,000 students for 12 years, the found that those with high levels of involvement in the arts were five times more likely to graduate from high school than those with low involvement.

But while over feel the arts are important for education, only , and access remains uneven. Charter schools, the fastest-growing segment of public education, have the lowest availability of arts courses: Just offer arts instruction. Students in charter schools, military families and homeschool programs are too often the ones with the fewest opportunities to engage with the arts, despite needing them most.

This is an issue that the Cathedral Arts Project in Jacksonville, Florida, is trying to solve.

In partnership with and with funding from the Florida Department of Education, our program piloted a year-long arts education initiative during the 2024-25 school year, reaching more than 400 students in charter schools, homeschools, military families and crisis care. Our teaching artists visited classrooms weekly, providing instruction in dance, music, visual arts and theater. Throughout the year, students in kindergarten through high school found joy, confidence and connection through creative learning. Homeschool students brought history to life through art projects, children from military families found comfort and stability during times of deployment and young people in crisis discovered new ways to express themselves and heal. Each moment affirmed the power of the arts to help children imagine what’s possible.

To better understand the impact of this work, we partnered with the Florida Data Science for Social Good program at the University of North Florida to analyze reports and survey evaluations collected from 88% of program participants. Here’s what we found:

Students grew not only in artistic skill, but also in self-confidence, teamwork, problem-solving and engagement. After completing the program, over 86% of students said they “like to finish what they start” and “can do things even when they are hard” 鈥� a key indicator of persistence, which is a strong predictor of long-term academic success. Students rated themselves highly in statements like, “I am good at performance.”

Families noticed, too. In the age of screens, nearly three-quarters reported that their child had increased in-person social interaction since beginning arts programming and had improved emotional control at home. Nearly one-third saw noticeable gains in creative problem-solving and persistence through challenges.

According to the survey conducted by 50CAN, parents view the arts as a meaningful contributor to their child’s learning, and they want more of it. In Florida, where families have been given the power of school choice, they’re increasingly seeking out programs that inspire creative thinking and meaningful engagement while promoting academic success. But finding them isn’t always easy. When funding allows, traditional public schools may offer band or visual arts, but these options are often unavailable to families choosing alternative education options for their children.

Now in its second year, our program fills this critical gap by working directly with school choice families across northeast Florida, bringing structured arts instruction to students who otherwise wouldn’t have access. 

What makes the arts such an effective intervention? It’s structure, expression and connection. When students learn through the creative process, they navigate frustration, build resilience and find joy in persistence. These are not soft skills 鈥� they’re essential for survival, and increasingly important in today’s workplaces.

Arts education is a necessary investment in student achievement. It’s time for other states to treat it that way and follow Florida’s lead.

Veronica Alvarez was 4 when her family came to the U.S. from Cotija in Michoac谩n, Mexico, a small town famed for its cheese. Her father picked avocados amid the scorching heat in the San Fernando Valley, while her mother cleaned houses. One of nine children, she learned how to scrimp and save, how to work hard and how to dream big.

鈥淲e were so poor, I knew not to ask for much,鈥� said Alvarez, 52, now executive director of Los Angeles-based , one of the state鈥檚 leading arts education advocacy organizations. 鈥淟ooking back on those years now, I don鈥檛 know how my parents did it. I have a white-color job and two sons, and I can barely afford it.鈥�

Her sunny disposition belies a steely resolve. She remembers well the sting of being an undocumented immigrant in the age of Gov. Pete Wilson, an era when some felt ashamed to even speak Spanish in public. She brings that fire to her arts education mission. 

鈥淚 believe access to the arts is a social justice issue,鈥� as she puts it.

鈥淯nfortunately, students that have the most need do not get equal access and opportunities.鈥�

Her chops as a fighter, someone who doesn鈥檛 give up on a cause, are part of what makes her special, arts advocates say.

鈥淰eronica is an inspiring and dedicated arts education advocate and leader,鈥� said Merryl Goldberg, a veteran music and arts professor at Cal State San Marcos, who also serves on the Create CA board. 鈥淗er commitment to equity and lifting student voices is front and center.鈥�

Alvarez didn鈥檛 become fluent in English until about the fourth grade, but she instinctively understood that education was the key to escaping poverty. 

The only one in her family to graduate from high school, for her, school was always a matter of sink or swim. She chose to dive deep. She paid her way through college working at Chuck E. Cheese, where she honed her chops in engaging children.

鈥淚鈥檝e always been pretty driven,鈥� said Alvarez, a mother of two boys with a doctorate in education and a master鈥檚 in ancient history. 鈥淓ducation was my path out of poverty. That was always my thing. I loved school.鈥�

She also loved to walk to the library. It conjured an oasis of calm amid her raucous household.

鈥淚鈥檇 come home with bags of books and sit in a corner to read and immerse myself in the world created by the author,鈥� she remembers. 鈥淭hat love of reading has lasted to this day.鈥�

At first, she wanted to be an artist, but her fourth grade teacher said she lacked talent. 

鈥淚 loved making art as a child,鈥� said Alvarez. 鈥淏ut I had always been taught to respect your elders. I didn鈥檛 think it was my place to question it.鈥�

So, she stopped trying to make art, channeling her drive into academics. Determined to graduate early, she took every AP class she could in high school and found her happy place in art history. A self-professed nerd, she always felt drawn to the world of books and ideas.

鈥淭o be able to sit and read and learn always seemed like a luxury to me,鈥� she said. 

As a child, she was first entranced by Caravaggio and Bernini, and later became beguiled by the works of Frida Kahlo and Graciela Iturbide. 

鈥淚 loved Bernini鈥檚 鈥楧avid鈥� because of his teeth biting his lip; he looked vulnerable and intense 鈥� along with the fact that he was mid-motion as he threw the rock at Goliath,鈥� she remembers. 鈥淭he 鈥楤arberini Faun鈥� made me blush. A big piece of marble made me blush.鈥�

She鈥檚 a full-fledged museum addict and a politics junkie with a passion for the place of women in antiquity, particularly Greek and Roman history. That expertise is what led her to the Getty Museum, where she helped launch the Getty Villa. 

鈥淢y parents would鈥檝e never dreamed of taking us to museums; that was not a place for us,鈥� said Alvarez, who later became the director of school and teacher programs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 鈥淢y passion has always been about access and equity, making a place for everyone.鈥�

While at the Getty, she worked on an English learners program with migrant workers who often start work at 4 a.m., which means language classes happened at all hours of the day and night. It was a struggle to convey the meanings of words until she landed on using the visual realm. 

鈥淲hen you learn a new language, you learn 鈥榤anzana鈥� means apple, and then you see a picture of an apple,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淚 thought, why don鈥檛 we use C茅zanne鈥檚 鈥楽till Life with Apples鈥�? And the conversations suddenly got so much more interesting. We got the students to really engage, centered around the artwork.鈥� 

That obsession with making sure everyone, not just the lucky few, can feel the transformative power of the arts is why she feels right at home at Create CA, which has been helping schools navigate the rules around Proposition 28, the state鈥檚 arts education mandate. 

The organization has long fought for expanding access to arts education and helped advocate for arts educators and teaching artists in the classroom. One of the biggest challenges facing the organization now is making sure Prop. 28 funds are spent as they were intended, as well as pushing for more funding.

鈥淲ith the passage of Prop. 28 and dedicated funds for arts education, people may think we have solved arts education,鈥� she said. 鈥淗owever, while a billion dollars may sound like a lot of money, we have 6 million students in CA. When we parcel out what that means to individual school districts, especially in rural areas, sometimes the funds aren鈥檛 sufficient to hire one art teacher.鈥�

Alvarez is known for her poise and her ability to keep the peace amid intense personalities.

鈥淚鈥檝e been struck by her powerfully calm demeanor and her openness to advocacy as a ground-up endeavor versus a top-down activity,鈥� said Goldberg. 鈥淏eing an arts leader can be challenging in so much as there are many voices in the mix and they don鈥檛 all agree.鈥�

Alvarez has the polish to be diplomatic in a deeply divided world, partly because she puts the cause first. 

鈥淪he brings a worldly and positive energy to the discussions, and she strikes me as very much always in the problem-solving and equity-centered mode,鈥� said Letty Kraus, director of the California County Superintendents Statewide Arts Initiative. 鈥淚 also have experienced her as hands-on, participatory, and collegial in her approach.鈥� 

For Alvarez, art is the tether that connects us to our shared human heritage. It鈥檚 a bridge to the past that all should be encouraged to cross. 

鈥淗uman beings are unique,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ut of all the animals, we have the ability to create art, to connect across time and culture. That鈥檚 why I love the arts so much. The craftsmanship of the human hand, the human eye, is so important to me.鈥�

As an educator, the elusive nature of cognition 鈥� why the human mind absorbs some concepts while discarding others 鈥� also fascinates her. 

鈥淭o me, what you have to teach is the love of learning,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ow does the mind retain information? It鈥檚 all about making connections. You learn something in history, and then you apply it in English. It鈥檚 about providing the full context; that鈥檚 how you retain information.鈥�

If something truly moves us, she suggests, we may remember it forever. That鈥檚 why the arts can push us to transcend boundaries and grasp universal truths. 

鈥淭he arts are essential to students鈥� creativity,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen students can鈥檛 access the traditional curriculum, the arts allow them to express themselves, their feelings, and tell their stories. The arts are essential to our well-being.鈥� 

I鈥檝e seen firsthand how overwhelmed and disconnected today鈥檚 youth are becoming, losing faith in themselves and one another. Students also get judged from the outside quite often 鈥� on test scores, on behavior, on penmanship. But when they craft their own art, they begin to find their voice and a unique point of view that can be expressed with and beyond words. Once they find that voice 鈥� the one they didn鈥檛 know they had 鈥� my students want to use it for something that matters.

One of the biggest obstacles to civic engagement for students is that most are never asked to serve their community, despite having so much to give. They just need to be invited in. 

That鈥檚 why, for nine years, I have found ways to integrate student creativity with civic work through projects that accommodate young people’s differing abilities and interests. There are plenty of programs that create pathways for educators like me to engage young people in service learning; for example, my class has found many creative opportunities through programs like and .

When I tell my students at John Marshall Enterprise High School that the art they鈥檙e creating is going to a stranger 鈥� that it鈥檚 going to help someone they鈥檒l never meet 鈥� it is hard for them to comprehend how such a small act can truly make a difference in someone鈥檚 life.

In my Family & Consumer Sciences classes, for example, my students apply lessons from their science, social studies and math classes in creative service projects. One of our favorites this year was making neck-cooler ties for . These fabric ties provide a cooling effect when worn around the neck and were donated to servicemen and women stationed in desert regions of the world, where heat is dangerous and relief is limited.

We explored the different properties of fabrics and how they might be used in various applications and regions of the world: natural fibers such as cotton are breathable and better for people with allergies, and won鈥檛 melt to skin like polyester or polycotton will in case of fire. We calculated the dimensions of each tie: 5 inches wide, 11 inches long, a quarter-inch for the seam. We learned how hydroponic beads, which are sewn into the ties, work: The absorbent nature of hydrogel expands the beads when soaked in water, which helps keep the fabric cool for hours.

We then sewed the ties ourselves and shipped them out. Even students who might not get an A in math learned about its applications through something tangible, something they could feel. This project wasn鈥檛 just art; it was science, it was math, it was compassion.

Through art, my students connect with the world and make sense of hard things. Many of them have faced trauma, and some are still living through it. I can see the healing taking place when students are looking down at their art and working with great focus. Their faces show the engagement of their heart.  

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we joined the , which uses flowers to help break the stigma around mental health. Students made 鈥渢ulip garden鈥� art in the classroom and planted bulbs in the gardens outside. Even these small acts help students to feel connected and capable of creating change. Art is a vehicle for driving away loneliness and embracing hope and gratitude.聽

More than ever, students need to feel like they belong to their schools, their communities and the world around them. They need to know that their voices, ideas and kindness can make a difference. I see that happen when my class writes letters to veterans and creates encouragement cards for refugees, people experiencing food insecurity at food banks, seniors in isolation, children who are ill and young students just starting school. These letters and cards are delivered across our city, the country and even make their way around the world. Such simple acts of creativity invite kids and offer them a way to feel seen, connected and involved. 

Arts education belongs at the heart of how schools teach students civic engagement, especially for those who don鈥檛 always feel invited to the table 鈥� those who鈥檝e been overlooked or left out. Creativity provides a way in, allowing students to see that they matter and can make an impact. When they create something meaningful and send it into the world, something shifts. They begin to see themselves differently. They start to see themselves as part of the solution.

In my classroom, students see that art isn鈥檛 just about making something look pretty; it鈥檚 about creating something that matters. Whether it鈥檚 painting rocks with kind messages for veterans, decorating socks for Los Angeles students impacted by wildfires or creating origami and love links 鈥� colorful paper chains filled with encouraging words 鈥� for young children, these small acts of creativity help students believe they have something to give. And the truth is, they all do. They don鈥檛 have to be at the top of their class or in student government to make an impact. They just have to be willing to try.

As an arts educator and a mother of a K-12 student, I see firsthand how arts integration provides students with a space to express themselves, collaborate with peers, and engage more deeply in other subjects. The arts deepen my students’ learning, helping them apply skills within new contexts. 

that being involved in the arts helps students perform better academically and develop critical life skills like problem-solving, collaboration, and adaptability. Students with four years of arts or music education have a graduation rate of 90%, compared to 73% for those without. I teach grades 7 through 12; like Max, many of my students apply their math and literacy skills in the arts in meaningful ways. 

As debates fiscal priorities, an proposes significant cuts to key school-related programs, including eliminating federal funding for Arts in Education grants that provide access to art for students in low-income communities. If these proposed reductions come to fruition, Gabrielle and Max would lose programs like my photography class. This wouldn鈥檛 just impact art instruction, but also math outcomes and the ability of my students to develop critical thinking skills.

It鈥檚 time to explore viable and creative paths to support arts education locally to re-engage students like Gabrielle and Max in their learning. Here are three things to consider:

Low-income schools need access to arts and arts integration. My child lost his access in 5th grade at his school because the arts instructors rotated between schools. In contrast, I worked with a school in a high-income area where elementary students had access to robust arts programs. Correcting this disparity would ensure students in underfunded schools have as much access to arts as affluent students in our state.

Arts education can be strengthened by supporting alternative pathways into education and teacher preparation programs. My master鈥檚 degree in art is invaluable in giving my students real-world insights into post-secondary education and what a viable career in art might look like. The teacher preparation program I attended has helped me to understand the diverse needs of my students and effective classroom management. We must continue to invest in teacher preparation programs and in teachers鈥� ongoing professional learning, ensuring we stay up to date with the latest artistic trends, educational research, and teaching techniques. 

Enhanced funding for arts across schools and districts allows students to engage in creativity and innovation, which can motivate them to stay in school. My charter school offers a robust career and technical education program that includes arts-related careers and arts-integrated curriculum, such as using arts learning to deepen their understanding of anatomy. 

My students tell me that this is what keeps them feeling engaged, supported, and excited to come to school to learn. In addition to photography, students at my school can take 3D modeling, film, animation, graphic design, electronic integrated arts, computer repair, comic book and storyboarding, among other courses. Many of our students leave the school with a career-ready portfolio that allows them to move directly into a professional career in the arts or a related field.

My photography class helped Max to expand his math skills and empowered Gabrielle to support a classmate’s growth. My students learned that arts are connected to math鈥攁nd beyond. Arts education isn鈥檛 just an extracurricular activity; it鈥檚 essential in developing well-rounded citizens. If we truly value education, we must protect and expand access to the arts, which will help ensure improved student outcomes and alignment to higher-wage careers. For Max, the arts helped him to feel more empowered to try in math; it gave him the idea that he can overcome any obstacle in his life. I am hopeful he will carry that forever.

But the , a music group made up of second- to 12th-graders began in humbler circumstances at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1993, Downs was searching a school closet for bulletin board paper but found a closetful of instruments instead. So, she asked her students if they wanted to do a concert. 

鈥淵ou know, being second- and third-graders, they鈥檙e fearless,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o they were just, 鈥楲et鈥檚 do this!鈥�

First, they played at a PTA meeting and then at a nursing home. Ms Downs said the invitations to perform kept coming, leading them to play all over Louisville, and then across the country. 

In 2003, the group became a non-profit organization, offering the Leopard experience to more kids beyond King Elementary. Three years later, HBO documented the group鈥檚 journey to New York City to open for the Chick Corea Trio in the film The Leopards Take Manhattan. 

But what really skyrocketed the Leopards to stardom was when a YouTube video of them playing Ozzy Osbourne鈥檚 Crazy Train went viral.

鈥淥ut of the blue, we got a check from Ozzy Osbourne to help support our group,鈥� Downs said. 

A couple years later, they were invited to appear on the reality show Ozzy and Jack鈥檚 World Detour. 

鈥淪ome of the kids didn鈥檛 know who he was, so we had to do a little education, and they know who he is now,鈥� she added.

The group鈥檚 cover of Led Zeppelin later also went viral on YouTube. Downs said the views went from 6,000 to 6 million views in a week. The students did interviews with media outlets all over the world. 

While the students don鈥檛 really understand the impact that the group had in their lives when they were younger, Downs said, 鈥淚 have had alumni come back to me and just say, 鈥業 can鈥檛 believe I did that when I was a kid鈥� I can鈥檛 believe that happened to me.鈥�