ArtsNOW

We've always had ambitious goals at ArtsNOW💫🌟

In 2021, we began a five year federal grant that required measurable literacy improvements across six schools in Georgia and South Carolina.

The benchmark set by the U.S. Department of Education was 30% of fourth graders improving their reading scale scores.

As we near the finish line for the , we are proud to report that 78% of participating fourth graders improved their reading scale scores!🎉

This is yet another reminder that the arts belong in every classroom.

We think results like this deserve to be celebrated! Want the full picture behind this number, and others like it? It's all on our blog, and honestly, it's worth the read. https://artsnowlearning.org/why-the-arts-belong-in-every-classroom/

National Arts in Education Week 2026: Why the Arts Belong in Every Classroom The students sitting in today’s classrooms will enter a world that demands flexibility, creativity, and strong problem-solving skills.

This week's shines bright on one of our partner schools: Cannons Elementary School in Spartanburg, South Carolina! 🎨✨

Now in their 4th year partnering with ArtsNOW, Cannons has truly blossomed into a leader among our South Carolina schools.

Under Principal Elizabeth Phillips' leadership, arts integration has become part of the fabric of the school, not just a program on top of it. That kind of buy-in doesn't happen by accident, it takes a leader who believes in it!

This October 21, Cannons will host a Demonstration of Learning Day, so if you're interested in seeing the arts in action - this is a great opportunity to do so!
👉 Register here: https://forms.gle/FCVVcoNX31Ue11dn8

Join us in celebrating Cannons Elementary, a school community where creativity keeps growing. 🌟

Do you think arts integration is just for primary grade students? Think again! 🎭

Arts integration is an effective teaching approach at any grade level, and our recent visit to Woodmont Middle School in Greenville County Schools is a great example.

During professional learning focused on theatre techniques, Woodmont teachers explored ways to use theatre games and strategies to help their students deepen understanding of classroom content. And the engagement was off the charts!

Eighth grade science teacher Mr. Ewen shared that his students “really enjoyed the theatrical integration into the lessons” and that the activities helped them connect with the material in new ways. So much so that he’s already exploring more ArtsNOW lessons and strategies to bring into his next unit on Newton’s Laws.

Arts integration isn’t about making learning “fun” just for the sake of it. It’s about giving students new ways to engage with and understand what they’re learning - at every grade level.

Check out our lesson library today, featuring K-12th grade content! 👇
https://artsnowlearning.org/resources/integrated-lessons/

The arts belong in every classroom - and the research backs it up. 🎨

As we wrap up National Arts in Education Week, swipe through for three of the many reasons to keep arts integration front and center: students who engage more, students who understand more, and teachers who stay.

Every student deserves that kind of learning, no matter their ZIP code or their school's budget, and making that possible takes all of us.

📣 Help us put the evidence in more hands. Join us October 13th for a live virtual Research Briefing, where we'll unpack the findings and what they mean for students, educators, and school communities.

Register here: bit.ly/46f0tGi

This week's features a warm welcome to Marrington Middle School of the Arts in Berkeley County, SC! 🎉🎨

It feels incredibly fitting to spotlight this arts magnet school during National Arts in Education Week, something they are also celebrating!

Marrington joins us with an already established commitment to both fine arts education and arts integration, and we're excited to support strengthening their practices and approach to teaching.

They kicked things off by sending a team of their teachers to our Foundational Seminar in June, then we visited earlier this month for our first professional learning series focused on visual arts integration.

Happy and welcome to the ArtsNOW community, Marrington Middle School of the Arts, we cannot wait to grow together this year! 💛

Join us in celebrating National Arts in Education Week! 🎨🎶🎭🪩

The arts belong in every classroom, and we've got the research to back it up.

In ArtsNOW partner schools, educators reported:
⭐️ 95% saw increased student engagement
⭐️ 92% saw students better understand academic concepts

All week, we'll be sharing the data and the stories behind those numbers.

📣 If you love numbers (and data!) as much as we do, join us October 13 for our free Research Briefing. We'll unpack what the findings tell us about arts integration's impact on students, educators, and school communities.

Register here: bit.ly/46f0tGi

EXCEL is officially underway!✨

Across our six partner schools, educators kicked off the year by jumping into hands-on experiences with arts integration, exploring how visual arts, theatre, dance, and music can make everyday learning more creative, engaging, and meaningful. 🎨🎭🎶💃

Now, kickoffs are behind us and school visits have begun! We can’t wait to see these ideas move from pre-planning into classrooms.

We’re so excited to be partnering with:
Fultondale Elementary School
Pleasant Grove Elementary School
New Prospect Elementary
Holly Springs-Motlow Elementary School
Hapeville Elementary
Vickery Mill Elementary

Stay tuned throughout the year for more grant updates, and for individual features on all of these incredible schools. Let’s go, EXCEL! 🧡

This week’s spotlight shines on another Columbia, SC partner school: Saluda River Academy for the Arts! 🎨✨

Now in year three of their partnership with ArtsNOW, Saluda River continues to deliver high-quality arts integration with enthusiasm, positivity, and commitment.

With Principal Brandon Brantley at the helm, the school has built on its strong foundation in the arts and continues to show what’s possible when creativity and learning come together. Their buy-in is evident throughout the school, from engaged classrooms to joyful collaboration.

We also love how quick the Saluda River team is to celebrate and share their ArtsNOW experiences, helping spread the arts integration love far and wide! 📸👏

Join us in celebrating Saluda River Academy for the Arts - a school community where creativity and joyful learning continue to thrive! 🌟

This week’s spotlight shines on another Columbia, SC partner school: Saluda River Academy for the Arts ! 🎨✨

Now in year three of their partnership with ArtsNOW, Saluda River continues to deliver high-quality arts integration with enthusiasm, positivity, and commitment.

With Principal Brandon Brantley at the helm, the school has built on its strong foundation in the arts and continues to show what’s possible when creativity and learning come together. Their buy-in is evident throughout the school, from engaged classrooms to joyful collaboration.

We also love how quick the Saluda River team is to celebrate and share their ArtsNOW experiences, helping spread the arts integration love far and wide! 📸👏

Join us in celebrating Saluda River Academy for the Arts - a school community where creativity and joyful learning continue to thrive! 🌟