World wide wow! - Forum focus: arts awareness and advocacy - arts education web sites

American Music Teacher, August-Sept, 2003

With a few mouse clicks, arts advocacy tools literally are at our fingertips. The following list has the most current websites of organizations and programs involved in arts advocacy. The list is a guide to help educate music teachers, the general public and policy decision makers about the importance of a strong music and arts education in America. While it is not a complete list, this information is provided to help your advocacy efforts.

American Arts Alliance

www.americanartsalliance.org

This website was under construction as of this writing, but for more information contact them at 1869 Park Rd. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20010; (202) 387-8300, fax: (202) 797-9856.

American Music Conference (AMC)

www.amc-music.com

AMC promotes the benefits of music education and provides the Music Education Advocate's Toolkit--the "Einstein Kit"--to gain support for music education in your local community. Many Toolkit resources also are online at www.amc-music.com/advocacy/toolkit.htm.

Americans for the Arts

www.artsusa.org

Americans for the Arts is an advocacy organization whose goals include increasing public and private support for the arts and ensuring children's access to a high-quality arts education. Through their "Art. Ask for More." initiative, they advocate for standards in arts education. They also provide fact sheets and "success stories" to support local advocacy efforts. Note: This organization was formerly National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies.

The Arts Education Partnership

www.aep-arts.org

Formerly the Goals 2000 Arts Education Partnership, AEP specifically works for music education in schools, and advocacy tools may be adapted for other efforts.

Art Works: An Arts Advocacy Video

www.glencoe.com/sec/art/advocacy/video/index.htm

Download video clips that make the case for arts education, produced by publisher Glencoe McGraw-Hill.

Center for Arts and Culture

www.culturalpolicy.org

The Center for Arts and Culture is an "independent think tank that aims to broaden and deepen the national conversation on culture and cultural policies." Explore the "Art, Artists and Teaching" or "Education" areas of the site.

Children's Music Workshop--Music Advocacy

www.childrensmusicworkshop.com

Follow the "Music Advocacy" link on the left side of the Children's Music Workshop home page for resources, many through MENC's MusicFriends site (see next page).

Gaining the Arts Advantage

www.pcah.gov/gaa/profiles.html

A study, sponsored by The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, reports "lessons from school districts that value arts education."

International Foundation for Music Research

www.music-research.org

The International Foundation for Music Research (IFMR) articles and publications may help inform advocacy efforts with credible scientific evidence of the benefits of music education.

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Alliance for Arts Education

www.kennedy-center.org/education and

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org

The Kennedy Center's education area fosters appreciation for the performing arts as an integral part of a broad-based education. It offers educational programs, workshops for teachers and more. A web-based effort, ArtsEdge sponsors projects and provides teacher resources to integrate the arts into a broader curriculum.

Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education

Network (KCAAEN)

www.kennedy-center.org/education/kcaaen

Forty-six states are members of KCAAEN; find your state's site under the "State Alliance Information" link. Each site has membership information, resources and partner organizations for state-wide advocacy. Also check out other states' helpful resources.

KINGMUSIC--Advocacy

www.kingmusic1.com/advocacy.htm

This Chicago music retailer's Web presence has an area devoted to music advocacy. Download "Why Music Education?" press releases for use in advocacy efforts nationwide.

MENC: The National Association for Music

Education

www.menc.org and www.musicfriends.org

MENC, through its advocacy information site MusicFriends, offers fact sheets, resources and more.

The Mockingbird Foundation

www.mockingbirdfoundation.org/funding/music-ed.html

The Mockingbird Foundation is an organization, started by the band Phish, that develops music programs outside of public schools--"unconventional" music instruction. Its website includes articles, advocacy tools and links and examines cuts in music funding.

Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation

www.mhopus.org

Inspired by the motion picture Mr. Holland's Opus, this organization works with schools and communities to provide donated instruments and instrument repair.

Music Education Online

www.musiceducationonline.org/links/linxparent.html

This page has advocacy links for parents and teachers. Music Education Online is a project of the Saskatchewan Music Educators Association and is the home page of the Canadian Music Educators Association.

National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts

(NFAA)

www.nfaa.org

NFAA's ARTS (Arts Recognition and Talent Search) program gives scholarships and other financial support to high school seniors for their continued arts education. Its ARTS Week program brings finalists national recognition, and NFAA is the sole recommending organization to the Presidential Scholars in the Arts program.