MISSION + VISION
Every Student. Every School. Every Day.
OUR MISSION
We envision a future where every student attending a Baltimore City Public Schools has equitable access to a transformative arts education that prepares them to join generations of artists, leaders, advocates, makers and supporters of the arts.
OUR VISION
The arts, for every student, in every Baltimore City Public School, every day.
DIVERSITY + EQUITY
The arts are for everyone. In Baltimore City, historical oppression, systemic and institutional racism continue to contribute to inequitable access to a quality education that includes the arts. The arts are a human right.
In our daily work we strive to: amplify the voices of underrepresented communities we serve, especially people of color; reflect the communities we serve within our arts partners, staff, and board of directors; advocate for funding, policies, and practices that remove barriers and advance equitable access to the arts; honor the artistic creative voices and lived experiences of our youth.
OUR HISTORY
In 2005, Baltimore was chosen as one of eight cities across the country to be part of the Ford Foundation’s Arts Integration and Education Reform Initiative. The following year, a coalition consisting of the Baltimore City Public School System, the City of Baltimore, community artists, philanthropists, and leaders from Baltimore’s arts, cultural and educational institutions formed with the goal of identifying the best way to bring dynamic arts education programming to Baltimore’s middle schools. Ford Foundation funding was secured, and under the leadership of a diverse and cross-sector board, Baltimore Partners for Enhanced Learning was founded in 2006.
The non-profit was renamed Arts Every Day in 2007 to reflect our goal that Baltimore City school students have access to arts experiences, arts instruction, and/or arts-integrated instruction every day of their school experience. The Arts Every Day Schools Program and website were launched in 2008 to connect Baltimore City School communities with teaching artists and cultural organizations.
When the Schools Program began, Arts Every Day partnered with six City schools reaching approximately 3,670 students. The program has evolved to a three-stage model designed to build arts-rich schools ensuring students equitable access to arts education, arts-integrated instruction, and arts experiences during the school day. Today, Arts Every Day provides over $165,000 in funding and professional development support to 36 Baltimore City Schools, 80% of which are Title 1 Schools serving high-need, low-income youth.
Funding supports more than 150 arts programs, impacts over 17,000 students and 1,200 educators, and promotes over 500 teaching artists and arts and cultural programs each year.