Why the Arts Are Essential: A Panel Discussion in Ridgefield for Parents, Educators, Community
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- Details
- Category: Arts and Entertainment
- Last Updated on Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:32
- Written by Jennifer Leavitt-Wipf
“Don't Throw Out the Arts,” a panel discussion on the critical role of the arts in education will take place at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 258 Main St., Ridgefield on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m.
Studies tell us that children who study the arts – from music and drama to painting and handwork – are better socially adapted, rank higher on standardized tests, and are even more likely to get into medical school (Phi Delta Kappan, Feb., 1994), yet the arts continue to take a backseat to almost every other discipline when it comes time to plan (and pare) school curriculums.
Panelists – who will discuss the benefits of arts education, and the ramifications of cuts – will include Suzanne Enser-Ryan, Aldrich's head of school, teacher and docent programs, Deirdre McCann, a pediatric occupational therapist, Dr. Gerald Karnow, a family practitioner, Michael O'Donoghue, headmaster of the Old Westbury School of the Holy Child, and attorney Neil H. Abramson, who authored the recently published novel “Unsaid.” Panelists will call upon personal and anecdotal experiences as well as hard facts from research studies to answer questions. Melissa Merkling, founder of the Housatonic Valley Waldorf School, will moderate.
A Stanford University study found that young people who participated in an arts program, at least three hours on three days of each week throughout at least a year, were four times as likely to be recognized for academic achievement or to participate in a math and science fair, and three times more likely to be elected to their class office or win an award for school attendance, than were their peers who did not participate in an arts program. According to Johns Hopkins School of Education, The College Entrance Examination Board announced that “Students who studied arts and music scored significantly higher than the national average on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.” In addition, “Students who had participated in acting, play production, music performance and appreciation, drama appreciation, and art history, scored an average of 31 to 50 points higher for the math and verbal sections.” The board added that “Students with long-term arts study (four years or more) tend to score significantly higher on the SAT than those with less coursework in the arts."
Open to the public, the discussion will focus on the relationship between the arts and a student's creativity, self-worth and academic success, sensory integration issues, learning disabilities, focus, self-discipline, behavior, and socialization in school and, later, in the work place.
Co-sponsoring with the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum are the Apple Blossom School & Family Center of Wilton, The Clover Hill School of Norwalk, The Garden Gate Early Childhood Program of Southbury, and Housatonic Valley Waldorf School of Newtown.
Space is limited and a $10 pre-registration is recommended. The fee is $15 at the door. For more information, contact Therese Lederer at 203-364-9881 or
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