Quality arts education promotes student artistic voice and empowerment; enhances collaboration, innovation and critical thinking; fosters leadership skills that promote respect and empathy; and offers multiple pathways for career success and lifelong learning.

Dedicated arts educators and school leaders are the lynchpin of an excellent, responsive, and equitable arts education for all students. Connected Arts Network: Leveraging Arts Learning Communities for Teacher Leadership and Student Achievement is a ground-breaking partnership between NAEA, the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), and the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) Arts Office that has supported a network for professional learning of arts educators nationwide.

Grounded in the power of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and evidence-based practices of inquiry and action research, CAN has provided a powerful forum that nurtures reflective teacher practice and agency to transform arts classrooms into spaces of belonging and creativity for all student artists. The power of the arts and the power of community generate creativity, promote student voice, and cultivate joyful artistry for all students.