Math-Science Initiative

Across the country, lawmakers, educators, and business leaders are working together to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Out of 30 developed countries, U.S. students ranked 21st in science literacy and 25th in math literacy according to the most recent Program for International Student Assessment. Raising the performance of our students is a national priority.

Arts Partners is working with national advisors CRATEL (center for Research in Arts, Technology, Education and Learning) at WSU, artists, teachers, curriculum specialists and other educators to design programs that use the arts to enhance interest and learning in math and science.

STEM education must start in the earliest years at the time that children’s interests, desires, and abilities are formed. This important beginning leads to students’ success and choices in elementary through high school math and science. Arts Partners is helping to bridge these two education priorities by infusing the creativity of high quality arts education into early childhood STEM learning.

Literary Arts

This project’s goal is to increase student literacy by developing arts-based instructional strategies for use by upper elementary and middle school teachers. Lessons are targeted for areas in the reading / writing curriculum in which the arts make natural and significant connections for learning. Dance, theatre, music and visual arts help students learn by making abstract concepts concrete and visible through the use of images, sounds, movement, language, body and voice.

New Program Development: Our staff works with artists and curriculum specialists to develop arts-infused programs that reinforce learning in the arts, as well as across all areas of the PreK-12 curriculum, including reading, writing, math, social studies and science.