Gold Coast Arts is pleased to announce their participation in the newly-formed Long Island Arts Education Coalition, an initiative of Long Island Arts Alliance.
LIAEC is comprised of a network of individuals from Nassau and Suffolk Counties dedicated to advancing arts education on Long Island and in New York State.
Gold Coast Arts jois wn impressive group of arts administrators, arts educators, college and university leaders, and state agency representatives aimed at building capacity within and across the arts education field.
Chaired by Regent Roger Tilles, LIAEC will advocate to advance policy change in ways that benefit all youth on Long Island.
The LIAEC has been established to join the growing number of regional and statewide coalitions designed to ensure that our legislators and Governor are aware of the essential need for every school to provide opportunities for kids to express themselves through study in the arts.
Where arts programs thrive, students are learning in the arts with high engagement, expressing ideas in a variety of arts languages, and engaging in creative and reflective work.
We also see students learning through the arts—meeting objectives in both an art form and another subject area and constructing and demonstrating understanding in highly creative and personal ways. But quality arts programs don’t thrive on their own.
One of the keys to their success has been the active involvement of arts advocates with a powerful and strategic message.
“I believe in grass roots advocacy” says Hon. Roger Tilles, Long Island’s representative on the Board of Regents, Founder of Long Island Arts Alliance, and Chairman of LIAEC. “The most effective tool for action is to galvanize leading citizens to affect change as advocates of a common mission. And I have seen in Albany that the loudest voices are those best positioned to win the day. At this crucial time, when our representatives are setting educational policy with long term implications, it is our intent to join with counties across New York to guarantee that children will continue to enjoy the peace and fulfillment that the arts can bring to their lives. We can do no less”.
The LIAEC will work to develop systems and infrastructure that expand and sustain accessible arts education for all students, of all ages, within all 125 public school districts. It will focus on building and strengthening partnerships and collaborations between schools and arts and culture programs led by local arts organizations and artists.
“For over 25 years, Gold Coast Arts has been dedicated to promoting and supporting the arts and artists through education, exhibition, performance, and outreach” says Regina Gil, executive director, and founder of Gold Coast Arts. “We have seen first-hand the positive impact that quality exposure to and education in the arts has had on the lives of thousands of children and adults of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities – including an increase in self-confidence, creative problem-solving skills, and the ability to work cooperatively with others. Engagement in the arts helps prepare students for jobs that have yet to be imagined. But due to cutbacks in funding and diminished respect for arts education in too many schools, not every child has access to a quality education in the arts. We look forward to working with so many influential arts leaders throughout our region to ensure that the arts remain a priority in the classrooms for all students throughout New York State.”
For more information and a current list of coalition members and their affiliated organizations, visit www.longislandartsalliance.org/liaec
