Arkansas Learning Through the Arts

The mission of Arkansas Learning Through The Arts (ALTTA), a non-profit organization and affiliate of Young Audiences Arts for Learning, is to improve student achievement on a state-wide level. The main focus is to strengthen all aspects of literacy -- reading, writing, listening and speaking.  Particularly, the aim is to:   1) change a child's mindset for learning, 2) provide cultural experiences and resources that are unavailable for rural schools and 3) provide a lasting model for teachers.

The organization offers schools arts-integrated educational programs that significantly improve literacy rates via increasing student engagement and participation. ALTTA programs boost achievement by igniting children's curiosity and excitement for learning.  The organization works with professional teaching artists to provide curriculum-based workshops in individual classrooms that incorporate Arkansas State curriculum standards.  Over 50 workshops are available from pre-K through 12th grade.

In anticipation of virtual schooling becoming a reality, ALTTA artists have been converting their existing programs to a video/virtual format in order to support teachers and student needs.   Administrators have been excited about the prospect and are beginning to schedule their programs.  

Arts-infused learning has a dramatic effect on learning, whether in the arts classrooms or using the arts as a learning tool in the regular classroom.   ALTTA programs are designed to complement and enhance lesson plans by challenging students to create their own poems, dances, stories, artwork and sharing with their peers. Working together, they learn to collaborate  and share their creations, thereby cultivating their social and emotional skills.  They practice their reading and writing skills as they learn how the arts is an outgrowth of their culture.  Many programs are based social studies and science, but all use the arts to illustrate the subject of the teacher's lesson plans. 

The students live generally in very rural communities which are under-served by enriching culture experiences, largely by lack of access to metropolitan areas and because of low-income families with few resources. In those areas, the limited cultural experiences are often fee-based and so there is no equity of access for all young people. The aggregate demographics are as follows: Asian - 4%, Black - 18%, Hispanic - 13% and White - 63%.  Depending on the school district, on average there are about 80% of the students qualified for the free and reduced meal programs.

Student  engagement in learning leads to  more knowledge of and more interested in their community.   Studies have shown that higher academic skills leads to higher graduation rates, students are less likely to enter the criminal justice system and are more likely to  be civic-minded.