For Immediate Release: October 6, 2011 Sheila Sears, Arts Education Manager, sheila.sears@state.co.us Colorado Arts Education Guidebook Available New Resource Provides Schools with Strategies to Improve Student Engagement

Denver, CO (October 6, 2011) – A new Arts Education Guidebook provides Colorado schools and districts with research-based information and ideas on ways to improve or expand their arts education programs.  With contributions by many sponsors, the Colorado Department of Education Dropout Prevention and Student Engagement Unit funded the creation of the comprehensive resource to connect statewide educational needs with visual, performing and literary arts and cultural organizations in communities across the state.

As a way to support the requirements of the Arts Education for Workforce Development Act passed by the Colorado General Assembly in 2010, an Arts Education Task Force convened to support efforts to prepare students for a creative and competitive 21st century workforce.  As the economic needs of the state have evolved, so has the urgency to provide students with an education that will best prepare them for the workforce of tomorrow--skills such as invention, creativity, innovation and collaboration that are taught through the arts.

The Office of Dropout Prevention and Student Re-engagement is dedicated to reducing the dropout rate and advances the state’s commitment to ensure graduation and school success for all students and re-engaging out of school youth.  A percentage of the State Fiscal Stabilization Funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was obligated to create the Arts Resource Guidebook in an effort promote and enhance student engagement, as well as inspire exploration in to the creative industries workforce.

This guide is intended to help schools, districts, parents, community members and most importantly, the students, gain equal access to the arts. The all electronic guidebook is available at www.cde.state.co.us/otl/Art.

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Colorado Creative Industries was established as a division of the state Office of Economic Development and International Trade to promote, support and expand the creative industries, thereby driving Colorado’s economy, creating jobs, and enhancing our quality of life. Colorado Creative Industries sees a future in which Colorado is a premier creative economy with significant and sustained support, and where creative entrepreneurs and enterprises flourish with a robust creative workforce. For more information on Colorado Creative Industries visit www.coloradocreativeindustries.org.