Americans for the Arts joined 52 other national arts and education groups, including the Center For The Arts At River Ridge, in signing a unified statement outlining the importance of arts education for all students in this time of crisis.

In the statement, "Arts Education Is Essential," the signing organizations convey that the arts already have played a pivotal and uplifting role during the pandemic, and that arts education can help students as they return to school. Arts education advocates are encouraged to use this statement to help make the case to district leaders, principals, and other education decisionmakers to include arts education teachers and programs in future school budgets and operations planning.