Young Audiences Arts for Learning (YA) is proud to announce that the Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) will be joining the YA National network as its 30th affiliate. Last year, the YA network reached 5 million children in over 8,000 schools and community centers with 88,000 programs, such as arts-integrated workshops and residencies and professional learning opportunities for educators and artists.
“We are thrilled to welcome CAPE to our network; their exceptional work in arts-in-education is a perfect fit with our network’s mission,” states the Young Audiences Arts for Learning National Executive Director, David A. Dik.
CAPE partners with Chicago Public Schools to bring integrated arts education programs to thousands of students. Through extensive research and evaluation, CAPE has shown that high quality arts education is essential to increasing academic success among students in Chicago. Reaching more than 5,000 K-12 students in 50 Chicago public schools, CAPE integrates the arts into the core curriculum guided by teaching artists and classroom teachers. In addition, CAPE provides ongoing professional development for educators and artists.
Their teaching artists and classroom teachers, working both in school and after, collaborate by utilizing music, visual arts, dance and drama to develop creativity, academic and artistic skills. With an extensive research agenda guided by a full time research associate and experienced principal investigators, CAPE is a leading contributor to the field with articles and websites devoted to understanding the impact of arts education on students, teachers, artists, and schools.
“CAPE is honored and thrilled to be a part of Young Audiences, an organization with a distinguished history of excellence in service to the young people of America. We are looking forward to collaborating with our colleague organizations across the country to continue this history of service, innovation, and artistry,” stated Amy Rasmussen, CAPE’s Executive Director. She has been on staff with CAPE since 2000 and guided the organization through a period of substantial programmatic and financial growth. In 2011, she was selected as a White House Champion of Change for Arts Education.
About Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE): Founded in 1992, CAPE increases students’ academic success, critical thinking and creativity through research-based, arts driven education. CAPE is recognized as a leader in school improvement through the arts. CAPE’s original and continuing philosophy stresses collaboration and strong partnerships with funders, CPS school leaders, artists and arts organizations.
Press Contacts:
Michelle Green. T: (312) 870-6140 X 146, E: mgreen@capeweb.org
Marcus Romero. T: (212) 860-1563 X108, E: marcus@ya.org
