What+is+ArtsSmarts?

What is ArtsSmarts?[[image:boy_doing_art.jpg align="right"]]
ArtsSmarts is a nation-wide education initiative dedicated to improving the lives and learning capacity of Canadian children by injecting arts into their academic programs. In classrooms across the country, artists and educators, schools and communities collaborate to integrate arts into the daily work of students studying core subjects such as social studies, math and language arts. ArtsSmarts projects are designed to suit local circumstances and reflect locally-shaped themes. They are planned and executed through partnerships involving artists, arts organizations, community organizations, teachers and schools and school boards.

ArtsSmarts projects are designed to engage and enhance student learning of core subjects. Across the country, ArtsSmarts has been demonstrating that by integrating the arts into school curriculum we can make core curriculum more relevant and meaningful to students. ArtsSmarts projects capture the imagination and build the confidence of disengaged young people and create an enthusiastic atmosphere of active learning among students, teachers and artists. Teachers and students involved with ArtsSmarts projects have reported fewer missed school days by students, greater student effort and enthusiasm and a higher level of understanding of the curriculum. They have also reported that students were more willing to collaborate with each other and in particular, with students they wouldn’t normally associate with, demonstrating that ArtsSmarts also fosters a feeling of respect, understanding and inclusion amongst students. Student engagement is a key factor in keeping children in school.

To visit the ArtsSmarts website and read more, go to .