What does this indicator measure?
This indicator reports data and information about academic programs that are sponsored by Big Thought, a local nonprofit partnership working to improve children's lives using arts and culture as tools and catalysts. As noted on its Web site, Big Thought supports community partnerships, cultural integration for academic achievement, youth development, and family learning.
Why is this indicator important?
This indicator is important because Big Thought fully understands, supports, and further promotes the vital role that cultural arts can have in boosting the academic careers of children. Three Big Thought programs are specifically designed to provide school-aged children with exposure and access to a wide variety of cultural arts activities and opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them. As described by Big Thought, when cultural arts are fully integrated into an academic curriculum, they have a profound ability to help children learn. They help raise test scores, improve literacy skills, boost cognitive development, and keep students engaged.
These programs are important to our community in the sense that they provide our children with access to cultural arts within their own schools and libraries.
How are we doing?
Big Thought coordinates three programs that are specifically designed to integrate cultural resources into the classroom curriculum. To learn more about Big Thought and its cultural arts integration programs, follow the Web links given below.