Don't Forget about the arts!

Intro

The values art classes teach can be practically applied in more ways than you know. When you think of art careers, what do you typically think of? A starving artist, way over his head in the big city? What about a student, just like me, or the other students speaking here today? Throughout my time in school, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by other students and teachers who equally valued music, art, and other forms of creativity. Unfortunately, not all students at schools across the country share that luxury. When times get tough and money gets tight, arts programs are usually the first to go.

Budget Cuts

According to research by education major Sarah Grace Griswold of Cincinnati Christian University, arts budgets all around the country are suffering. Figure 1 shows 50% of poor public schools do not have an art room, and 30% of public elementary schools have no art classes at all. As a future music educator, I worry about the shrinking job market, but what I worry more about is the lack of motivation to keep arts education alive. Some people look at arts classes as easy and unnecessary, but thousands of art careers exist, and some have yet to be invented. This is where students come in. We are the missing A in the STEM to STEAM equation.

Figure 1

A Boost in Numbers

Recently, there has been a push from the government and education departments for an emphasis on STEM Programs. They combine the mechanics behind science, technology, engineering and math so they can be applied cohesively in real world situations. According to a survey done in 2014 by the U.S. Department of education, 28% of high school freshmen declare an interest in a STEM-related field. Though that number is already low, the survey also predicts 57% of these students will lose interest by the time they graduate from high school. When you look at these statistics, it’s pretty depressing, right? I mean, these programs are so heavily emphasized in our world today, but there is not enough interest in them. I’m sure you’re wondering, what does any of this have to do with art classes? Well, suppose we could improve these statistics, simply by adding arts education to the mix? As seen in Figure 2 (below), a study by the PEW Research Center found that only 52% of college graduates with STEM-related degrees are currently employed in STEM fields. Similarly, the Santa Fe University of Art and Design claims an estimated 8.3% of people in the U.S. are currently employed in art and culture fields, as shown in Figure 3 (below). Both seem like small percentages, but combining Art with STEM creates the opportunity for numerical growth in both fields.

Figure 2 Figure 3

Educational Value

So, why shouldn’t the arts be first to go? I mean, how much real world application can you get out of a Beethoven symphony or Van Gogh’s Starry Night, right? It turns out, the most useful information you can learn from art classes isn’t memorized facts, but instead, real life skills. The arts encourage communication, self-discovery, expression, and most importantly, creativity. All of these skills are necessary not only for our health and well being, but also for the progression of our society. Without creativity, there is no basis or motivation for inventing new ideas and technology. As seen in Figure 4, art classes foster skills in interpretation, critical thinking, complex comprehension, and flexibility (Kent State, 2017).

Figure 4

Using a 2015 study of job-hopper’s LinkedIn profiles, Guy Berger (2016) of LinkedIn Business shows how these specific skills rank in importance when it comes to actually finding a job. In Figure 5, he (2016) shows critical thinking and adaptability fall into the top 10 most important skills employers seek, with creativity also sneaking in at number 7.

Figure 5

Of course, it’s not that you can’t learn these skills in core classes, but art classes allow you to incorporate them into your everyday studies. The arts teach much more than facts read in a book. If you don’t believe me, see what actual students have to say. Figure 6 shows that when asked what they’ve learned from their arts classes, a small group of high school art and music students I surveyed overwhelmingly agree that their art classes have taught them more than any test or homework assignment can measure.

Figure 6

Growth

Not only are art classes educationally valuable, but they also contribute to a growing and changing culture. As I mentioned earlier, thousands of art careers exist, and new ones are invented every day. Rachel Hallett (2016), author of “10 Jobs that Didn’t Exist 10 Years Ago” provides us with examples of occupations that appeared only recently. For example, 10 years ago, there was no such career as an app developer, a driver-less car engineer, or a YouTube content creator. The STEAM industry continues to grow not only in types of jobs, but also in the amount of new jobs coming available. In 2017, the Economics and Statistics Administration reported a 24.4% grow rate for STEM related careers, as opposed to a 4% growth rate in non-STEM careers, as seen in Figure 7. The Administration (2017) predicts an 8.9% increase in the STEM career growth rate between 2014 and 2024.

Figure 7

Conclusion

Even though budget cuts force us to make sacrifices, we cannot afford to continue sacrificing the arts. The impact of arts education is evident in its educational value, practical application, and growth in the career market. We’re pretty lucky here at Bermudian, but other students deserve the chance to learn as much from the arts as we do. Students are the future of the ever changing STEAM-field, and who better to grow, adapt, and cultivate those changes than students? No amount of money, or lack thereof, can ever replace the value of arts education.

REFERENCES

Berger, G. (2016, August 30). Data Reveals The Most In-demand Soft Skills Among Candidates. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/trends-and-research/2016/most-indemand-soft-skills - employee skills image

Graf, N., Fry, R., & Funk, C. (2018, January 09). 7 facts about the STEM workforce. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/01/09/7-facts-about-the-stem-workforce/

Griswold, S. G. (2016, March 26). Arts in Education. Retrieved May 4, 2018, from https://sarahgracegriswold.org/resume/arts-in-education/ - arts pie chart

Hallett, R., & Hutt, R. (2016, June 7). 10 jobs that didn't exist 10 years ago. Retrieved May 2, 2018, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/06/10-jobs-that-didn-t-exist-10-years-ago/

Hawkins, A. J. (2017, January 04). BMW, Intel, and Mobileye will have self-driving cars on the road later this year. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from https://www.theverge.com/ces/2017/1/4/14165576/bmw-intel-mobileye-self-driving-car-ces-2017 - driverless car engineer image

Hirsch, S. (2014, May 05). Need to know: Answers to the questions that every first-time app developer asks. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from https://betanews.com/2014/05/05/need-to-know-answers-to-the-questions-that-every-first-time-app-developer-asks/ - app developer image

Kent State University. (2017). Online Master of Music in Music Education. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from https://musicedmasters.kent.edu/stem-to-steam/

Kessler, S. (2016, June 16). YouTube Stars Form New Guild To Give Creators A Stronger Voice. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from https://www.fastcompany.com/3060617/youtube-stars-form-new-guild-to-give-creators-a-stronger-voice - youtube content creator image

Pixabay. (2016, January 28). Free Image on Pixabay - Stones, Background, Work, Sun. Retrieved May 1, 2018, from https://pixabay.com/en/stones-background-work-sun-black-1162083/ - sad man image

Pixabay. (2017, December). Free Image on Pixabay - Brooklyn, New York, Skyline. Retrieved May 1, 2018, from https://pixabay.com/en/brooklyn-new-york-skyline-cityscape-2858985/ - Brooklyn, NY Skyline

Santa Fe University of Art & Design. (2018). Jobs for Creative Minds • Santa Fe University of Art and Design. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from https://santafeuniversity.edu/career-services/careers-in-the-arts/ -art stats image

U.S. Department of Commerce. (2017, March 30). Economics & Statistics Administration. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from http://www.esa.doc.gov/reports/stem-jobs-2017-update - STEM Career Growth Graph

U.S. Department of Education. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math: Education for Global Leadership. (2015, March). Retrieved May 2, 2018, from https://www.ed.gov/stem

Worldometers. (2018, May 9). U.S. Population (LIVE). Retrieved May 9, 2018, from http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/us-population/

Report abuse