Welcome to the Oregon Alliance for Arts Education!
The Oregon Alliance for Arts Education was established in 1997 with a mission to champion, strengthen, and celebrate the arts as an integral part of education for the people of Oregon. Today, our organizational goals have not changed from when we were founded:
- to improve the quality of and access to arts education for Oregon’s children;
- to support and honor excellence in arts education throughout the state.
- to increase the understanding and appreciation of the value of arts education among Oregon’s educators and the communities they serve
The Alliance is unique among Oregon’s arts education organizations in that it does not provide direct educational arts services to children, but, rather, works to influence the adults who control the arts and education environment in which Oregon children live and learn. Today, the founding goals listed above, continue to guide our three major programs: (1) Teacher Professional Development in the Arts, (2) Recognition of Excellence in the Arts in Education, and (3) Statewide Advocacy for the Arts in Education.
The Oregon Alliance is part of The Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network (KCAAEN) is a coalition of statewide non-profit Alliances for Arts Education working in partnership with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to support policies, practices, programs, and partnerships that ensure the arts are an essential part of American K-12 education.
The role of State Alliances are as follows:
- Build Collaborations: Develop and support innovative collaborations among schools, community partners, and cultural institutions that sustain arts education.
- Position the Arts: Speak out on behalf of arts education to citizens, policy makers, state agencies, and others about the value and benefits of arts education.
- Generate Resources: Develop, publish, and/or disseminate resources for arts education leaders and practitioners.
- Provide Professional Development: Implement professional development through educational programs, training, and resources.
- Recognize Innovation and Achievement: Provide awards and acknowledgments to individuals, organizations, and schools that demonstrate outstanding support for arts education.