| R 140 |
| 2026 -- S 3052 Enacted 03/10/2026 |
| S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
| CELEBRATING MARCH OF 2026 AS “ARTS IN THE SCHOOLS - YOUTH ART MONTH” IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Senators Gallo, Britto, Felag, Appollonio, LaMountain, Famiglietti, Rogers, Quezada, Vargas, and Ujifusa |
| Date Introduced: March 10, 2026 |
| WHEREAS, The arts enhance and enrich the lives of every Rhode Islander; and |
| WHEREAS, The State of Rhode Island has clear evidence that the arts contribute |
| significantly to our quality of life, the education of our citizens and the economy of our state; and |
| WHEREAS, Arts learning fosters school attendance and participation, as well as |
| teamwork and collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, public speaking, cultural |
| competency, and resiliency, all essential skills that employers require in a 21st century economy; |
| and |
| WHEREAS, With new regulations and policies in place, arts education in our schools can |
| be quantified to present a full picture of arts education in the Ocean State; and |
| WHEREAS, The R.I. State Council on the Arts went through a public process to |
| overhaul the Project Grants in Education application and evaluation criteria to better deliver |
| support and services to arts educators and teaching artists; and |
| WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Education has published an Arts |
| Curriculum Framework to support high-quality, standards-based arts instruction for all students; |
| and |
| WHEREAS, Arts education in the schools provides substantial, unique educational |
| benefits to all elementary, middle and secondary students, helping students stay engaged in |
| school and graduate with proficiency ready to enter the R.I. workforce; and |
| WHEREAS, The National Art Education Association, the American Alliance for Theatre |
| and Education, the Educational Theatre Association, the National Association for Music |
| Education, and the National Dance Education Organization designate the month of March as |
| “Youth Arts Month”; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby celebrates March of |
| 2026 as “Arts in the Schools - Youth Art Month” and urges all the citizens of the State to join us |
| in the observance of this month, and to recognize and applaud the efforts of arts educators, artists, |
| and administrators, who work diligently to ensure that all young people have access to the arts in |
| their school throughout the school year; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. |
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| LC003809 |
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