About Us

Middle School Students at PS 142

The Center for Arts Education (CAE) is leading the charge to restore quality arts education for New York City’s more than one million public school students.

Since its founding in 1996, CAE has awarded nearly $40 million in private and public funding to support arts education partnerships and programs.

Our Mission

CAE is committed to stimulating and sustaining quality arts education as an essential part of every child’s education in the New York City public schools. We believe every child deserves a well-rounded education that includes the arts.

What We Do

CAE provides information and resources that demonstrate the benefits of and need for arts education as part of a quality, balanced education. CAE also identifies and supports exemplary partnerships and programs that demonstrate how the arts contribute to learning and student achievement. CAE is dedicated to influencing educational and fiscal policies that will support arts education in all of the city’s public schools.

Building on our ten-year foundation of arts practice for quality teaching and learning, we offer a variety of programs to support arts education:

CAE’s Primary Goals

  • Ensure all New York City public school students have access to quality arts learning that complies with New York State’s minimum arts education requirements
  • Ensure every child experiences the arts as part of his or her basic education from kindergarten through 12th grade
  • Mobilize a broad community of supporters for school-based arts programs and experiences
  • Improve the quality of teaching and learning through grant programs, professional development, cultural partnerships and other initiatives
  • Increase resources available for arts education in the schools and for the larger field
  • Raise awareness about arts education and the work of CAE

Our Core Values

  • Every New York City public school student deserves a high quality educational experience. Teaching and learning in and through the arts is key to making this basic right a reality.
  • Learning in and through the arts enables classroom teachers to reach and engage students with different needs and strengths.
  • Life skills that arts education fosters in students will help them find success in New York City’s booming arts and cultural economy of more than $21 billion every year.
  • Equal access to a high quality education for all children leads the city’s elected officials and policymakers to support CAE’s mission.

Join CAE as we work to build a brighter future for New York City public school students by ensuring arts education for all our children:

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