In School Programs

MECA provides both long-term artist residencies and short-term workshops for Houston-area schools that lack the resources to facilitate their own artistic programs.  Classes are available in multiple disciplines for all age-ranges at all levels of proficiency. In addition, MECA is a founding member of Houston Arts Partners: Arts 4 All, which provides schools information regarding booking arts educators and activities.

The In-School program helps schools with limited arts funding offer their students high-quality arts education programming that aligns with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum and is suited for each school’s particular area of need.  Reduced funding for fine and cultural arts programs prevents many schools from purchasing needed instruments and materials or sponsoring arts programs. The search for critical supplemental funding is an ongoing challenge and MECA helps fill this gap.

Students who receive progressive instruction in the arts frequently demonstrate more successful academic performance than their peers who lack such arts involvement.  The artistic process enables students to develop the social skills and emotional intelligence attributed to high academic performance. Young artists must demonstrate focus and self-control, among other qualities, in order to advance in their artistic abilities, behaviors that are vital to academic success.  Furthermore, many arts disciplines engender hard skills that can be transferred to academic subjects such as math, language, and the humanities. For example, students receiving progressively complex training in music have demonstrated superior reading skills compared to their peers. Finally, arts education provided during the school day provides social benefits by serving as an equalizer against socioeconomic barriers that may hinder a child’s access to enriching arts activities.

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