First Lady Michelle Obama Touts Arts Education at 2014 National Arts & Humanities Youth Program Awards

At this weekend's ceremony for the 2014 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke about the importance of the arts in U.S. schools. Among the programs she put in the spotlight were Aurora, Colorado's "Job Training in the Arts" and Los Angeles's after-school dance program "Everybody Dance!".

The First Lady congratulated everyone in the room and went on to say: "I want to thank everyone in this room, because we have here with us teachers, we have artists, mentors -- all of you are doing the hard work of creating these wonderful programs for our young people every single day. You're out there in the trenches doing the really tough, important, wonderful work. And we're just so grateful...Every day, you are lifting up young people across this country, inspiring them to dream bigger and bigger for themselves in ways that just touch my heart and makes this work really worthwhile. From the Mississippi Delta, to my hometown of Chicago, to Houston, you all are helping young people learn to play the blues...You help them put on their own Shakespeare productions. You help them create their own go-karts and fashion designs...You teach kids more than just skills in the arts and the humanities, but you light a fire in them. You help them grow emotionally and socially. You give kids a spring in their step when they get out of bed each morning. You give them something to look forward to after school each day."

She continued: "Research shows that arts education leads to better scores in reading and in math -- we know this. Students who are highly involved in the arts stay in school longer than those who are not. So through these programs, students are learning critical lessons in grit and creativity, teamwork, attention to detail that's going to serve them well whether they go on in careers in the arts, or whether they go into science, or business, or anything else."

Part of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH), the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award (NAHYPA) recognizes the country's best creative youth development programs for using engagement in the arts and the humanities to increase academic achievement, graduation rates, and college enrollment.

The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities spearheads the award in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In addition to the recognition at the White House, all 12 awardees will receive $10,000 to further support programming.

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