NAEA Position Statement on Field Trips

NAEA believes visual arts field trips (learning extended beyond the classroom are part of a comprehensive arts education.

• Real-world applications and experiences can include:
  • Internships
  • Artmaking in the community
  • Mentoring
  • Interacting with the artistic community
• Engagement with art in artistic environments can include:
  • museums,
  • galleries,
  • artists’ studios,
  • nature centers
  • colleges and universities
  • community art spaces
  • events.

These opportunities enhance students’ experiences with and enrich knowledge of art and artifacts beyond what can be taught in a classroom. Through the sensory and kinesthetic learning that takes place in artistic environments, students develop a deeper comprehension of the world and the intricate intersections of art with diverse academic subjects through practical applications.

Field trips are a vital part of the learning process. The nature of these experiences nurtures a series of skills and capacities for learning among interrelated cognitive, affective, social-emotional, and academic domains.

NAEA supports field trips embedded within the curriculum. These experiences should be provided for all learners regardless of socio-economic status, academic level, behavioral development, artistic ability, physical or cognitive abilities, or geographic factors.

This Position Statement was formerly titled: Position Statement on Field Trips/Field Based Learning. [Adopted March 2015; Reviewed and Revised March 2019 when it was also retitled as part of the rewriting.]

Resources:

NAEA Museum Division and AAMD (Association of Art Museum Directors) field trips study: https://www.arteducators.org/research/articles/377-naea-aamd-research-study-impact-of-art-museum-programs-on-k-12-students