Checking In with RAISE: YA's Responsive Arts in School Education Program

The Responsive Arts in School Education (RAISE) program continues to expand its impact and affiliate implementation across the Young Audiences Arts for Learning (YA) network. RAISE is a multi-state project designed to address the current, urgent needs of young learners through healing-centered, culturally responsive practices rooted in social emotional learning and student empowerment. As we shared previously, YA was awarded $9.2 million from US Department of Education to implement the initiative over a five-year period.

During Year 2 of RAISE, which covered the 2022-2023 school year, the program offered 33 artist residencies, for students in pre-K through grade 8, in 96 classrooms throughout 10 schools. On the program’s professional development side, RAISE engaged YA network teaching artists in 56 hours of online learning, with 88 artists completing the courses offered.

Feedback from program participants has been overwhelmingly positive; as one teaching artist shared:

“I am forever indebted to you and your amazing attention to our growth as teaching artists and facilitators. This is groundbreaking stuff and we are the early adapters on the leading edge of a paradigm shift for our best and most honest living. I move forward in confidence that I have a huge community supporting me. I look forward to a lifetime more of beautiful life experiences teaching arts in education.”

Over the summer YA partnered with Arts for Learning Indiana, YA’s Indianapolis-based affiliate, for the RAISE Summer 2023 Convening. The event brought together over 50 passionate network staff and teaching artists from current and future RAISE implementation sites to share strategies, make connections, and plan for the coming year. To learn more about RAISE, please visit YA.org/RAISE.