April 2, 2025
Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor
When school districts and administrators make budget cuts, arts education is typically the first to go. Many educators, however, are trying to shift the focus away from standardized testing that covers math, science and reading and onto arts education.
Five years ago, an initiative called Arts, Care & Connection — ACC — was conceived by Arts for Learning Northwest, an organization committed to making the arts accessible for Oregon students.
According to an Arts for Learning NW press release, “This initiative is part of the Oregon Department of Education’s Well-Rounded Access Program, funded by a five-year, $9.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.”
The organization had the goal of bringing visual art, music, dance and other arts subjects to elementary classrooms. The press release stated that their goal was to “(connect) young people with diverse arts and creative experiences, making the arts abundantly accessible in schools and communities.”
Approximately two years ago, Arts for Learning NW worked in partnership with the Oregon Department of Education to create lesson plans for 94 stand-alone online lessons. They had the support of almost 70 artists across Oregon who helped create and lead these lessons. Although the grant from the U.S. Department of Education ends in 2025, the lessons will continue to be available.
The press release defines the lessons as “a creative adventure” and “an inspiring and joyful experience.”
The video lessons — now available online — are all one hour long with both English and Spanish versions. They are also made to be flexible for every educator, with no specialized materials required. Not only are they available for teachers, but they are also a great resource for homeschool educators, providers of after-school programs and leaders of summer programs.
“These lessons align with the Oregon Arts Standards and Oregon’s Transformative Social Emotional Learning Framework (TSEL), ensuring accessibility and effectiveness for all educators, regardless of artistic background,” the press release stated.
The video lessons are considered to be a form of TSEL curriculum. TSEL is meant to fit seamlessly into everyday classroom activities, without stopping students’ active learning. The press release stated that the components of TSEL include “self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.”
TSEL standards that are built into the arts could get more teacher and student buy-in while still satisfying the requirements of social-emotional learning.
“Art is a low-stakes way to build these skills that also help support creative thinking and problem-solving,” the Director of Development of Arts for Learning NW, Sarah Andrews, said.
If more school districts and administrators were aware of this new initiative, TSEL in the form of art education could benefit all students in Oregon.
According to Andrews, “We have reached out directly to the schools, presented at various conferences, created an email list of interested parties and lastly reached out to press in the hopes to make this program known across the whole state.”
Arts for Learning NW encourages educators who have participated in ACC to provide any feedback they have. “Participants who provide feedback can receive classroom supplies to support their implementation,” according to the press release. Arts teachers are also encouraged to participate in focus groups conducted by the Well-Rounded Access Program Team, aimed at discussing arts education experiences, and will be compensated with a stipend.
If educators would like to participate in the focus groups, join the email list or get more information, they can visit the Arts for Learning NW website.
Western has a large education program, and ACC could provide an important resource for Oregon’s newest educators. As of fall 2023, there were over 600 people majoring in education at Western. It may be important for those students to be aware of the different programs, organizations, and initiatives — such as Arts for Learning NW and ACC — that have been created to promote their success.
“When sharing this work with the arts education field across the country, the response has been
incredible,” stated project lead and Portland area Arts Education Consultant Briana Linden. “Oregon is leading the way in creating artist-led, social-emotionally integrated arts
learning that ignites students’ curiosity and allows them to explore what’s important to them — their sense of belonging, their identity and their communities.”
Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu
