Advocating for the Arts: Six Ways to Build Support for your Program

Across the country, arts educators understand something powerful: music, art, dance, and theater don’t just enrich students’ days—they transform how students think, connect, and belong. Yet despite the clear evidence, arts programs and teachers often face shrinking budgets, reduced instructional time, and limited professional support.

Advocacy doesn’t always mean fighting big political battles. It can start with small, strategic actions that build awareness, connect to your school’s mission, and show the impact of arts learning and engagement in real time.

Here are six ways to strengthen your advocacy and ensure your music and arts program—and the incredible teachers who make it thrive—receive the recognition and resources they deserve.

🎨 1. Showcase Student Work Publicly

Your students are your greatest asset when it comes to advocacy. When student creativity is visible, the value of the arts becomes undeniable. Public displays, performances, and presentations allow others to see what learning looks like in your classroom.

Try this:

• Partner with your administration to set up a rotating arts gallery in the main office or community space that highlights new student work each month.

• Bring the arts into unexpected places—display student pieces in the library, cafeteria, or local businesses, or perform at community events like farmers’ markets or town meetings.

• Include arts updates and student features in your school’s weekly parent newsletter so that families see the ongoing creative work happening across grade levels.

• Launch student-led Instagram takeovers (with permission and supervision) where young artists share “a day in the life” of a music or arts student—from rehearsals and projects to performances and reflections. These authentic snapshots humanize your program and engage the broader school community online.

• Add short learning statements or QR codes next to displays (e.g., “Students explored improvisation through pentatonic scales — scan to hear their compositions!”), helping others connect the art to learning outcomes.

🎯 2. Connect Arts Learning to Schoolwide Goals

We know the arts have deep value in and of themselves, but not everyone in our schools or communities sees them that way. To strengthen your advocacy, show how your work supports the same goals your administrators care about: literacy, social-emotional learning, attendance, and belonging.

Try this:

• Align your language with the school mission statement in newsletters, concert programs, and grant proposals. If your school emphasizes “community” or “critical thinking,” explicitly mention how your work builds those skills.

• Collaborate with classroom teachers on interdisciplinary lessons—for example, composing songs based on poetry they learning about in schoo—and share those results with administrators as examples of cross-curricular learning.

• Collect short student reflections about what they learned in arts class that connects to other subjects (“Art helps me understand symmetry!”) and display them publicly.

💬 3. Tell Compelling Student Stories

Data is important, but stories move people. A single student’s transformation through the arts can demonstrate the program’s human impact far more powerfully than a spreadsheet.

Try this:

• Keep a “story log” — a simple document where you jot down moments of student growth, breakthroughs, or creative leadership throughout the year. These can later be used in newsletters, presentations, or grant applications.

• Record short student or parent video testimonials (with permission) that highlight how arts participation has influenced confidence, engagement, or school connectedness.

• Share stories with your school board, PTO, or district newsletter, connecting them to goals like inclusion, student voice, or achievement.

🤝 4. Engage Parents and Community Partners

Parents and community members are your strongest allies—they can help amplify your message and help sustain your program.

Try this:

• Host a “Family Arts Night” or “Behind the Scenes in the Arts” event where families participate in mini-lessons or rehearsals alongside students. This builds understanding of what happens in class and deepens appreciation for the process, not just the product.

• Form a Parent Arts Advisory Group to assist with events, community connections, and advocacy messaging.

• Partner with local arts organizations, universities, and businesses to co-host workshops, artist residencies, or exhibitions that extend your program’s reach.

• Include a dedicated arts section in your school’s weekly parent newsletter to feature upcoming performances, art displays, and student achievements—this keeps families engaged and fosters pride in the arts.

• Create a community arts calendar that shares local concerts, exhibits, and youth opportunities, reinforcing the idea that your school’s arts program is part of a larger creative ecosystem.

📊 5. Leverage Enrollment and Evidence

Numbers tell a compelling story when combined with context. Collecting and sharing enrollment data shows trends, growth, and need—and gives you credibility when advocating for resources. Also, administrators love numbers and other data points.

Try this:

• Track student enrollment and participation each year across grade levels and demographic groups to highlight equity and access.

• Compare data before and after major initiatives (e.g., after introducing a new instrument program or inclusive curriculum).

• Survey students and families about their arts experiences and use those results to demonstrate engagement and satisfaction.

• Create infographics or short data snapshots for display or inclusion in staff meetings that link growth in arts participation to attendance or academic success.

🌟 6. Showcase the Impact of Supporting Arts Teachers

When arts teachers receive meaningful professional development, resources, and time for collaboration, students benefit. Make that link visible to your administrators and community.

Try this:

• After attending a conference or PD session, share a short reflection and photos of how you implemented what you learned—and highlight student results.

• Collect before-and-after examples (lesson plans, student work samples, or performance outcomes) that demonstrate how new strategies or materials improve learning.

• Collaborate with other arts educators to create a shared impact report showing how targeted support — such as curriculum time or access to materials—directly enhances student outcomes.

• Invite administrators to observe or participate in a lesson that incorporates your new skills. Seeing the transformation firsthand builds understanding and advocacy from the top down.

Advocacy as a Daily Practice

Advocacy isn’t a one-time thing—it’s part of how we teach every day. Sharing student work, celebrating wins, connecting lessons to school goals, or cheering on a colleague—each action makes the voice of arts educators stronger.

When we do it together—with stories, data, partnerships, and joy—the arts become more than enrichment. To our communities, they become essential. Cheers to you and all the advocacy work you do! 🙌