At the Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania, students from lower income families enjoy not only a rigourus academic environment but access to a variety of extracurricular activities. Milton Hershey School maintains a high-quality, visual- and performing-arts program to enhance each child's growth as a whole person.
Participation in the arts can make a significant difference in a student's success, particularly if that student comes from a underpriveleged background. A flagship study by James Catterall, using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey, showed that high school students who are engaged in the arts perform better on nearly every level as compared to nonparticipants. The study demonstrated a particularly high level of correlation among students of low socioeconomic status, who are more than twice as likely as their peers to earn a bachelor's degree.
A review of the Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) program has demonstrated improved school performance in participating schools. Another study, which tracked students in several types of extracurricular programs, found that arts programs had the most success in promoting both personal and academic success. Arts advocates believe that these trends stem from the ability of the arts to engage students on different levels, provide a platform for personal connection, and promote emotional development.
Participation in the arts can make a significant difference in a student's success, particularly if that student comes from a underpriveleged background. A flagship study by James Catterall, using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey, showed that high school students who are engaged in the arts perform better on nearly every level as compared to nonparticipants. The study demonstrated a particularly high level of correlation among students of low socioeconomic status, who are more than twice as likely as their peers to earn a bachelor's degree.
A review of the Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) program has demonstrated improved school performance in participating schools. Another study, which tracked students in several types of extracurricular programs, found that arts programs had the most success in promoting both personal and academic success. Arts advocates believe that these trends stem from the ability of the arts to engage students on different levels, provide a platform for personal connection, and promote emotional development.
