NAEA Position Statement on 21st Century Skills and Visual Arts Education

As a national collaborator on the Arts Map for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and as a signatory to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills’ National Action Agenda, NAEA recognizes the importance of having all students leave school prepared with the skills and knowledge to address the challenges that await them. To that end, we support the following PRINCIPLES:

• That the arts, including the visual arts, dance, music, and theatre, are recognized as core subjects in the Partnership for 21st Century Skills’ Framework for 21st Century Learning.
• That the visual arts provide opportunities for all students to build their skills and capacity in what the Partnership for 21st Century Skills calls “Learning and Innovation Skills,” specifically Creativity and Innovation; Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; and Communication and Collaboration.
• That the visual arts provide opportunities for all students to build their skills and capacity in what the Partnership for 21st Century Skills calls “Information, Media and Technology Skills,” specifically Information Literacy, Media Literacy, and ICT (Information, Communications, and Technology) Literacy.
• That the visual arts provide opportunities for students to build their skills and capacity in what the Partnership for 21st Century Skills calls “Life and Career Skills,” specifically, Flexibility and Adaptability; Initiative and Self-Direction; Social and Cross-Cultural Skills; Productivity and Accountability; and Leadership and Responsibility.

Resource: 21st Century Skills Arts Map: http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/P21_arts_map_final.pdf