Ohio Alliance for Arts Education

The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education (OAAE) is a member of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network.

OAAE was founded in 1974 and has established and maintains a network for communication, cooperation, and advocacy. OAAE has more than 8,000 members including students, parents, educators, administrators, citizens, artists, and arts advocates. Organizational members include the Ohio Music Education Association, Ohio Art Education Association, OhioDance, Ohio Educational Theatre Association, Ohio Citizens for the Arts, VSA arts of Ohio, WCET, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Wittenberg University, Greater Columbus Arts Council, and many more arts, education, and cultural institutions. Individual members unite with the organization members to serve as liaisons for arts education in Ohio.

OAAE exists to ensure the arts are an integral part of the education of every Ohioan. We develop and support innovative collaborations between schools and cultural institutions to promote the arts as equal partners in the educational enterprise. OAAE speaks on behalf of arts education before policy-makers and provides strategic input to the Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Arts Council, local arts organizations, school boards, parents, and educators. OAAE is a leader in professional development of teachers through in-services, conferences, symposiums, and the development and dissemination of information resources.

Our advocacy work, which includes weekly e-mail updates to our members has helped increase public awareness on such issues as operating and academic content standards, the education budget, and work undertaken by the State Board of Education, Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding, and the legislature.

We welcome you to take a look at a partnership advocacy project OAAE recently completed with CET Learning in Cincinnati. Speak Up! For the Arts is an arts advocacy toolkit for parents and teachers that helps demonstrate why the arts are important in the education process and how to develop your voice for the arts. CET Learning, OAAE, and Ohio Citizens for the Arts have partnered to provide the most current and effective advocacy materials to help you work to keep the arts in your schools.

The toolkit includes a DVD with two videos: Speak Up! For the Arts - Teachers, parents, administrators and artists speak up about the impact the arts have on learning and the need to support arts education and Advocate for the Arts - Practical advice about how to meet with your state and local representatives. The Speak Up! For the Arts DVD is available for free for a limited time. If you have any questions or comments contact us: arts@cetconnect.org

OAAE also participates in the national and state Arts Day activities, Creative Ticket-Schools of Excellence Campaign, and the OAAE Arts Education Awards. These events are held annually and help to acknowledge teachers, principals, schools, community arts organizations, artists, and citizens that demonstrate commitment to quality arts education programs.

The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education is funded in part for its day-to-day operation by the Ohio Arts Council. This support makes it possible for the OAAE to operate its office in Columbus and to work statewide to ensure the arts are an integral part of the education of every Ohioan. Support for arts education projects comes from the Ohio Arts Council, The John F. Kennedy Center, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, Ohio Music Education Association, Ohio Art Education Association, Ohio Educational Theatre Association, OhioDance, and the Greater Columbus Arts Council. We acknowledge and appreciate the financial support received from each of these outstanding agencies and organizations.

We welcome your participation and membership. Please contact us for additional information and discover how you can be involved in our efforts to support arts education for all Ohioans.

Donna S. Collins

Executive Director

614.224.1060