Learning to create and appreciate art is important to young children as they develop critical skills such as motor, language, decision making, visual, cultural, academic and more. Some may regard art education as a luxury, but simple creative activities are known to be important building blocks of child development.  Arts education increases vocabulary development, understanding of mathematical concepts and development of creative problem solving techniques.

This is why Broad Ripple Kiwanis includes the arts among projects funded with Pints for Half Pints proceeds. Over the past year and a half, we donated funds to provide:

• Lessons in puppetry – Broad Ripple Magnet High School
• Gear for a film project – Broad Ripple Magnet High School
• Mirrors for art projects – Eliza Baker School 55
• Canvas, paints and painting tools – Grades 3-5, Eliza Baker School 55
• Ten scholarships to “Moving to Music Camp” – Pre-K through 3^rd grade, Midtown Schools
• Markers – 1st grade, Eliza Baker School 55
• Music-themed posters of instruments, composers, performers – Eliza Baker School 55
• “Soundation” subscription – Eliza Baker School 55
• Music and art related equipment – Midtown Schools
• Seven scholarships for Music Theatre Camp – 4^th through 8^th grade, Midtown Schools

• Literature – 2^nd through 5^th grade, Eliza Baker School 55
• Materials to increase school families’ engagement in creative processes – 3^rd through 5^th grade, Eliza Baker School 55

Students’ success in school is enhanced significantly by engagement in the arts, which improves:

• Motor skills—Many motions involved in art are essential to the growth of fine motor skills.
• Language development— making art—or just talking about it—provides opportunities to learn words for colors, shapes and actions.
• Decision making—Art education strengthens problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
• Visual learning—Even before they can read, kids are taking in visual information.
• Inventiveness—When kids are encouraged to express themselves and take risks in creating art, they develop a sense of innovation that will be important in their adult lives.
• Cultural awareness—Teaching children to recognize the choices an artist makes in portraying a subject helps kids understand the concept that what they see may be someone else’s interpretation of reality.
• Improved academic performance—Young people who participate regularly in the arts are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, to participate in a math and science fair or to win an award for writing an essay or poem than children who do not participate.

Help us help more kids in Midtown; join us at Pints for Half Pints!  Click here to purchase tickets.