North Carolina governor Pat McCrory has declared September 13-19 “Arts In Education Week,” the first NC governor to recognize “the abiding value of ensuring that every child in North Carolina has a complete education that includes arts training, arts integration, and arts exposure.”
Arts North Carolina is encouraging folks to forward the governor’s proclamation to county school officials (school board, superintendent, principals, lead faculty, parent support groups) and to tell everyone you know.
Here’s the proclamation in full:
WHEREAS, arts education, comprising a rich array of disciplines including dance, media arts, music, theatre, visual arts, and more, is a core academic subject and an essential element of a complete and well-rounded education for all students; and
WHEREAS, arts education enables students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, imagination and creativity, discipline and collaboration, alternative ways to communicate and express feelings and ideas, and cross-cultural understanding, which supports academic success across the curriculum; and
WHEREAS, arts education contributes to increased attendance and graduation rates; elevates academic achievement, and prepares students for college, career, and citizenship readiness; and
WHEREAS, arts education contributes to personal growth outside of the classroom, including increasing a student’s likelihood to participate in civic life, volunteerism, altruism, and community engagement; and
WHEREAS, to succeed in today’s economy, students must masterfully develop traits that business leaders demand in a 21st century workforce, such as communicating through words, images, sounds, and movement; and
WHEREAS, the arts are an integral part of life in the United States and are an integral part of a complete education which contributes to the vibrancy and vitality of communities across North Carolina and our nation;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, PAT MCCRORY, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim September 13-19, 2015, as “ARTS IN EDUCATION WEEK†in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this eleventh day of September in the year of our Lord two thousand and fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
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Thanks to our friends at Arts North Carolina for passing along this great news.