In School Programs
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Reduced funding for fine arts and cultural programming prevents many schools from offering these invaluable services to their students. MECA helps fill this gap via its In School Program by sending arts instructors, tutors, and cultural experts into the Houston-area schools lacking these resources. MECA arts staff works closely with school liaisons to cater the program for each school’s particular area of need. Support for this program comes from a variety of sources such as parent teacher organizations, private donors, to state and federal funding channeled through groups like the Harris County Department of Education.
Why the arts are important! Students who receive progressive instruction in the arts frequently demonstrate more successful academic performance than their peers who lack such arts involvement. The arts instill focus, self-control, and discipline, all qualities essential for advancing in artistic abilities and critical behavior for achieving academic success. Additionally, the artistic process enables students to develop the social skills and emotional intelligence attributed to high academic performance. 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. |
