Program Partnerships

Children laying on the floor on their stomachs putting their hands in a stack on top of a colorful quilt
People shaking hands during a business meeting to seal the deal
Teacher sitting on a stool and reading a book to her students who are sitting on the floor listening closely

Program Partnerships

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) maintains partnerships with the following organization to support arts education and exchange resources on national level:

National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), established in Congress in 1965, is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States.

The NEA’s primary activities include grantmaking to nonprofit arts organizations, public arts agencies and organizations, colleges and universities, federally recognized tribal communities or tribes, and individual writers and translators.

While the NEA’s primary activity includes grantmaking, it also is a national leader in the field and a convener on issues important to the arts community and people working at the intersections of arts and other fields such as health, community development, and education, among others.

The NEA is an important resource for research on the value and the importance of the arts, and shares that information with stakeholders and the public.

You can learn more about these programs by clicking here.

Arts Education Partnership (AEP)

The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) was formed in 1995 through a collaborative effort among ED and the NEA, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).

More than 100 national organizations committed to promoting arts education in elementary and secondary schools, and institutions throughout the country have joined AEP to help States and local school districts integrate the arts into their educational improvement plans under federal, state, and local initiatives. AEP works closely with State teams composed of representatives from State educational agencies, State arts agencies, and State alliances for arts education.

You can learn more about these programs by clicking here.

Partnership with NEA and AEP

The NEA and ED, with the support of the private sector, supports the work of AEP to facilitate planning, communication, research, and collaboration among the national organizations, government agencies, foundations, and businesses that share the goal of making the arts part of a well-rounded education, consistent with the AEP's goals, which are to:

  • Engage a national coalition and other stakeholders around the priority issues for education improvement and connect those issues to the importance of a complete and competitive education that includes the arts;
  • Equip a national coalition and other stakeholders with an interest in arts and education with research and policy analysis to inform the development of new research, policy, and innovative practice; and
  • Encourage and support a national coalition and other stakeholders in their continued efforts to ensure that all students have equitable access to a high-quality education that includes the arts.