10 Easy Youth Art Month Strategies

• Ask your principal to sign a Youth Art Month Endorsement Certificate.  Ask your mayor and/or superintendent to sign a Youth Art Month Proclamation. Display them prominently in your school office or lobby.  Print the forms out HERE if you are in NY state.  Don't forget to send in your documentation!

• Create a bulletin board in honor of Youth Art Month.  You can include the 2017/2017 theme (United through Art) or the new 5-year official national theme adopted by the Council for Art Education (Art Builds Bridges) or both!  Or you can devise your own theme as long as it honors student artists and art in our schools.  If you are in NY state, send in a jpeg photo of your bulletin board.

•  If your school has an art show this month, include the Youth Art Month logo in the signage and promotional materials.  Download the YAM logo HERE.  

• Arrange to have art highlighted in your school's daily announcements through the month of March.  You could have art quotes read, or announce an "artist of the day"- it could be a student artist or a famous artist.  Let your state know what you did!

• Announce Youth Art Month on your school website.  Again, let your state know what you did! 

• Post what you are doing on your state Facebook page, or ideas on our Pinterest board!  

• Team up with language arts teachers to have students write statements about what art means to them, why art class is important, or what their favorite art experience has been... or write letters to public officials about the importance of art in our schools.  

• Ask a local business (or two or three or more) to support Youth Art Month by programming receipt printers to include a simple statement, such as "March is Youth Art Month... Support Art in ______ Schools" or by displaying student art for the public to enjoy.  

• Issue certificates of appreciation to parents who support your school art program, thanking them for being a "Friend of the Art Department".   Use the template on the NYSATA website, or create one of your own -- or have a student design it!

•  Document, document, document!  Let your YAM co-chairs know whatever you do - big or small - to acknowledge and promote Youth Art Month so it can be included in your state's reports.