As summer draws near, schools are busy showing off their students artistry with concerts, performances and art shows. These are great opportunities to invite local elected officials to witness students’ creativity, engagement, learning and joy through the arts.

In recent years, state legislators gave local school districts the flexibility to spend arts education block grant funds on whatever they deem essential. As a result, local schools and districts are being forced to make difficult decisions regarding arts programs. Help us demonstrate the value of arts education, so these programs can survive and thrive.

Here’s how you can get involved: Coordinate with interested educators, administrators, parents and community members to invite your local elected officials to experience arts learning at your school (your school board, mayor, city council, county board of education, and county supervisors).

The Arts Learning in Action Toolkit: A step-by-step online guide for planning a visit for an elected official to a classroom in your community. Click on items from the menu in the gray box to the left for all the tools you need, including:

• Preparation check list
• Sample invitation
• Sample press release
• Publicity guidelines
• Talking points on the value of arts education