Arts Education Award Recipient: Racial Unity Team, Stratham
The Arts in Action project of the nonprofit Racial Unity Team (RŪT) is a transformative initiative, steered by dedicated educational ambassadors, empowering teachers to foster community, connection, and creativity within their classrooms. By expanding students’ access to artistic and cultural experiences, Arts in Action inspires self-expression and facilitates mentorships with artists.
In the first phase of the Arts in Action project, RŪT ambassadors support educators as they examine their curricula through the following lens: What message(s) is this curriculum sending to students? What is being left unsaid? Whose voice or perspective is missing? The second phase bridges the gap between classrooms and communities by inviting local artists and professionals into the school. This community-to-school partnership allows students to hear from individuals who share how they use their art to make an impact on the world, igniting a passion for artistic expression and demonstrating the power of art as a catalyst for change. The third phase amplifies students' voices by providing them with a platform to work alongside mentors and design creative solutions for stronger communities.
The Arts in Action project of the Racial Unity Team provides students with sustained opportunities to hear a multiplicity of voices that round out a classroom’s curriculum, to share the experience and expertise of members in the community and across the nation, and offers a platform for students to voice their lived experience and hopes for the future.
In the first phase of the Arts in Action project, RŪT ambassadors support educators as they examine their curricula through the following lens: What message(s) is this curriculum sending to students? What is being left unsaid? Whose voice or perspective is missing? The second phase bridges the gap between classrooms and communities by inviting local artists and professionals into the school. This community-to-school partnership allows students to hear from individuals who share how they use their art to make an impact on the world, igniting a passion for artistic expression and demonstrating the power of art as a catalyst for change. The third phase amplifies students' voices by providing them with a platform to work alongside mentors and design creative solutions for stronger communities.