Arts education is not a luxury, but an essential part of a well-rounded education. Engaging in art is core to a child’s development, helping them build critical thinking skills, creativity, and confidence. Art also helps students connect to their identities, their peers, and the world around them. Yet, less than 47 percent of high school students have arts integrated into their school curriculum.
For years, schools have been cutting back on music, drama, and traditional art classes. Unsurprisingly, lower-income communities, especially Black and Hispanic communities, are seeing an even quicker loss of these programs, with fewer options for parents to get their kids involved in community art programs than white students from higher-income areas.
At a time when school systems across the country are facing difficult financial decisions, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is choosing to invest in what matters: creativity, self-expression, and opportunity for all students. CPS released the Arts Education Plan 2.0: Cultivating Creativity. This bold, equity-driven roadmap promises every student in every school access to high-quality arts instruction.
And they’re not doing it alone. For more than a decade, Ingenuity has been proud to serve as CPS’s lead partner in making equitable arts education a reality. Together, they’ve built an infrastructure that supports access, quality, and sustainability in the arts — and the results speak for themselves.
Students Want Art Programs
Since 2019, 28,000 CPS students have enrolled in schools rated “Excelling” in the arts, and district funding per student for arts education has grown by 59 percent. Today, nearly 144,000 students — almost half the district — attend a school where arts education is thriving. That kind of growth doesn’t just happen; it’s the result of long-term vision, deep partnership, and a shared commitment to equity.
Through the Creative Schools Fund, Ingenuity has invested more than $24 million in CPS schools since 2013, funding more than 1,500 grants across 465 schools and bringing professional teaching artists directly into classrooms. More than 800,000 students have benefitted — many of whom may not have otherwise had access to consistent, high-quality arts instruction. This investment includes a significant $2.2 million gift from Lollapalooza to support arts education in CPS schools that lack access to arts programs.
These gains are not just numbers; they are lives changed. Students discover new talents, develop their voices, and pursue careers in the arts because of the exposure and encouragement they received in CPS classrooms.
Partnerships are Key to Growth
CPS’s partnership with Ingenuity is a model for what’s possible when public systems, nonprofits, and private partners work together. These partnerships demonstrate how creative and business communities across other cities can come together to support the next generation of artists, educators, and changemakers.
This moment is a turning point. With the release of Arts Education Plan 2.0, CPS has laid out a clear and ambitious vision, and Ingenuity is deeply committed to helping realize it. The road ahead won’t be easy, but so much is possible when the right people and organizations align around a shared goal: every child, in every neighborhood, thriving through the arts.
How to Help
Ingenuity provides research and strategic partnerships to make art education accessible to all Chicago Public School students. Donations help provide grants to schools, such as Ingenuity’s Creative Schools Fund (CFS), which is the largest philanthropic investment that directly benefits arts in schools.
Nicole Upton is the Executive Director of Ingenuity, a nonprofit that advocates for and invests in arts education for every student, in every grade, in every Chicago Public School.
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