REFINING A PROFILE OF ARTS EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS CANADA

ArtsSmarts, a national arts education initiative, supports artists collaborating with teachers to implement arts instruction in partnership with school and community organizations. This study was undertaken after policy interventions were undertaken by the partners to refine 214 arts education projects across Canada. Findings indicate that the projects emphasized student exploration, creativity and arts integration across the curriculum, and teachers undertook an increased role in organizing and participating in the projects. Most projects were offered at single sites in urban settings, and projects were extended over the school term to increase their impact on learning. Visual arts was the most common arts discipline and grade five was the dominant grade level in which arts partnership projects occurred within the national arts program.