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Students, teachers highlight impact of arts and ask board to expand middle-school civic clubs
Summary
Multiple student speakers and arts educators told the Wake County Board of Education that school arts programs build confidence, leadership and academic skills; an eighth grader proposed piloting Model UN and Youth & Government clubs at middle schools.
Students and arts educators used the board’s Sept. 16 public comment period to describe how arts instruction and extracurricular programs shaped their learning and to ask the district to sustain and expand arts access and civic learning opportunities for younger students.
Several students from Broughton High School told the board that access to public-school dance and music programs transformed their academic and career plans. Senior Catherine Missy said public-school dance ‘‘gave me confidence, leadership skills, and a vision for my future’’ and credited a teacher for encouraging her to audition for an advanced class. Fifth-grader Noah Wells of Parkside Elementary described music as ‘‘a key to unlocking my potential’’ and encouraged the board to ‘‘explore and support the arts like music or theater to benefit yourself and your community.’’ Broughton senior Kate Fields said the dance program welcomed students with no prior training and provided leadership roles and teamwork skills she expects to carry to college.
Betsy Graves, Broughton dance director and a 30-year Wake County arts educator, and Parkside music teacher Kim Dimery spoke about arts teachers’ roles in fostering student growth, college and career pathways, and social-emotional learning. Graves noted arts teachers often are professional artists who create ‘‘a safe haven’’ for students and urged continued district investment in arts programs.
An eighth-grade student from Carnage Magnet Middle School, Nivan Raval, asked the board to approve a pilot of Model UN and Youth & Government clubs at the middle-school level. Raval proposed starting a pilot at Carnage Magnet with faculty advisors and small start-up resources, pairing middle-school students with high-school mentors, and hosting a Wake County middle-school Model UN and Youth & Government conference within two years. ‘‘This program builds essential skills such as public speaking, debate, research, writing, leadership, and teamwork,’’ Raval told the board, and cited research linking debate and civic programs to measurable gains in reading and reasoning.
Board members and district staff also highlighted National Arts in Education Week during the meeting; the superintendent and board members thanked students and arts staff for presentations. The public comments reinforced district messaging about arts as core curriculum and civic education as a tool to build leadership skills.
