Joseph Ferderbar

•Young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours on three days each week through at least one full year are:

• 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement

• 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools

• 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair

• 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance

• 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem

•Young artists, as compared with their peers, are likely to:

• Attend music, art, and dance classes nearly three times as frequently

• Participate in youth groups nearly four times as frequently

• Read for pleasure nearly twice as often

• Perform community service more than four times as often

(Living the Arts through Language + Learning: A Report on Community-based YouthOrganizations, Shirley Brice Heath, Stanford University and Carnegie Foundation For theAdvancement of Teaching, Americans for the Arts Monograph, November 1998)