Advocating for our fine arts programs to remain a part of the curriculum and receive enough funding is more important now than ever! Please take a look at the resources listed below from the Ohio Music Education Association's advocacy page to learn more about the important of the arts in our schools and ways to advocate for the fine arts to your school boards and governments of all levels.
OMEA Advocacy Page Link: https://www.omea-ohio.org/advocacy.php
As a parent, a community member or business owner, your voice must be heard to influence school budget and curriculum decisions to assure all children have access to music education. This website helps parents and community members influence support for music education in schools. It will guide you in communicating with school board members and administrators, who are the decision makers for every local district and who are influenced by the interests of the local population. Become a music advocate today and help ensure a high-quality education for all children.
https://www.nammfoundation.org/educator-resources/grassroots-advocacy-guide
Music for All is committed to providing access to valuable information and resources to support music and the arts in education and communities. The website contains tools and resources that can equip you with templates, facts and figures, posters and stories to successfully make your case for music education in your school and community. Be sure to visit the Stories & Articles page for moving stories about music's incredible impact.
https://musicforall.org/
Music In Our Schools Month® or "MIOSM" is NAfME's annual celebration during March which engages music educators, students, and communities from around the country in promoting the benefits of high quality music education programs in schools.
Music In Our Schools Month® began as a single statewide Advocacy Day and celebration in New York in 1973 and grew over the decades to become a month-long celebration of school music in 1985.
Music teachers celebrate MIOSM in many ways by offering special performances, lessons, sing-alongs and activities to bring their music programs to the attention of administrators, parents, colleagues, and communities to display the positive benefits that school music brings to students of all ages.
https://nafme.org/advocacy/music-in-our-schools-month/
In school districts nationwide, music education programs are being reduced or eliminated altogether. At the same time, we know that music education programs in schools offer a multitude of invaluable benefits for students ranging from collaboration and communication skills, creativity, self-expression, and leadership to improved academic outcomes.
NAfME advocates at the national, state, and local levels to educate elected officials and other decision makers about the impact and importance of music education programs. By working together, we are changing the national conversation about music's role in delivering an outstanding education to all students.
https://nafme.org/advocacy/