Designing Advocacy student, Ayushi Das, recently went to Sacramento to speak on the value of arts education to an esteemed panel of district analysts and representatives, including but not limited to, Chief Deputy Superintendent Mary Nicely and Senator Dave Minn.
In the inaugural year of the Designing Advocacy course offered through a grant from the California Arts Council and hosted by ArtCenter College of Design, Ayushi and other students learned from industry leaders at the intersection of design and activism the importance of creating a concise and powerful message for a cause.
Create CA encourages youth participation in advocacy, especially as the group most directly affected by decisions made in educational policy. Below is Ayushi’s exact comment to the panel, showing other students how easy it is to address the need for more arts and creativity in public schools in just a few paragraphs.
Good morning panelists,
My name is Ayushi Das, and I’m a senior from Orange County. I’m privileged to be here today on a school-funded opportunity to come to the Department of Education and speak to you all. Unfortunately, not every student has this privilege which is why I would like to take a few seconds to discuss an important topic in the inequities of CA public education.
Last year, Californians voted yes on Prop 28, which grants CA K-12 schools $1 billion in funding for arts and music education. However, statistics show racial inequities in access to such education, with predominantly Black and Hispanic schools supporting 10% fewer arts programs compared to white schools. Arts education remains threatened by education policy, as the issue is not widely discussed. On behalf of all young artists in CA, I urge you to take the time and look into the statistics of comprehensive arts education and the continued lack of equity in these spaces. Art is vital to the well-being and success of students and deserves to be treated as such in policy spaces. This can look like conferences with art teachers, authoring proposed bills surrounding arts education, and inviting students in art to share their experiences in education hearings.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
If you’re a student that’s interested in learning how to get involved in your community, learn more about Student Voices here.
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