09/18/2026
It’s National Arts in Education Week — and the stakes are higher than ever.
Arts education isn’t a luxury — it’s a proven driver of student achievement, creativity, and workforce readiness. But right now, that foundation is under threat. The federal funding streams that support arts education in schools nationwide face funding cuts. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) — a critical funder of arts programs across the country. The President’s FY 2027 Budget Request proposed eliminating the agency and advocacy is crucial to maintaining the NEA's funding through Congress. And access to arts degrees, including at HBCUs, is increasingly under pressure, threatening pathways into the creative economy for the next generation of artists and leaders.
When we lose these investments, we lose more than programs — we lose opportunity, culture, and community. This National Arts in Education Week, we’re urging Congress to fully fund arts education’s five federal funding streams, save the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) from closure, and protect access to arts degrees for every student, including at HBCUs.
Take action: www.artsactionfund.org/arts-action-center
