Formed in 2005 to combat the decreasing national focus on arts programs, the Beverley Taylor Sorenson BYU ARTS Partnership, housed in the David O. McKay School of Education, strengthens educational practices through the arts. The BYU ARTS Partnership is committed to improving the quality and quantity of arts education in local schools through several collaborative programs.

One of the many initiatives made possible through the BYU ARTS Partnership is the Arts Bridge Program, which engages Brigham Young University students with teachers in local elementary schools. Through this program, BYU students are able to provide elementary classrooms with instruction in dance, drama, visual arts and music.

Comprising 27 university students, this year’s Arts Bridge Program features the largest number of students since the program’s inception in 2006. These Arts Bridge participants make a powerful impression on elementary school students in 22 Utah County classrooms. The goal of Arts Bridge is for BYU students to develop skills in lesson planning, curriculum design, classroom management and arts integration. At the same time, teachers learn how the arts can be implemented into their classrooms. Throughout the eight to 10 times that Arts Bridge students visit their assigned class, they are able to teach standard core concepts in unique ways.

“I’ve loved working with the kids in creative ways and seeing things click for them that hadn’t clicked with them through the traditional methods,” said Sarah Barnett, an elementary education major in the McKay School. Barnett, who teaches at Dry Creek Elementary School in Lehi, is one of several McKay School students participating in the Arts Bridge Program this year.

“There are a lot of different ways to look at a problem and create meaning, and I think that the arts are a wonderful way to teach students the creativity they will need in the real world,” Barnett continued.

The BYU ARTS Partnership also offers several other programs that are accessible to all those with a propensity for the arts. In early November, the partnership held their annual Learning Edge Conference for school administrators, focusing on arts integration and gifted and talented education. The partnership will also hold the Arts Express Conference on June 11-12, which is open to both elementary educators and BYU students.

Cally Flox, director of the BYU ARTS Partnership, said, “The arts have been marginalized curriculum because budget priorities tend to focus on STEM subjects.”

Flox continued to say that the funding provided by the Beverley Taylor Sorenson BYU ARTS Partnership allows them to “provide teachers with the resources they need to bring the arts to children because [the arts] are essential.” The arts integration programs supported by the partnership provide students with healthy forms of personal expression, develop creative and collaborative skills, promote inclusive school environments and connect students with rich learning opportunities.

By fostering the arts in local schools through several cutting-edge programs, the BYU ARTS Partnership works towards the goal that every student has access to a high-quality arts education.