Your Voice Matters Now More than Ever

From the desks of our President and Board Chair: Dear Friends and Supporters, At Arts for Learning, we believe in the power of the arts to inspire, educate, and transform lives, particularly for young people. We stand in solidarity with…

An adult in bright orange wearing a bright smile wraps their arms around two young students. They are at a table covered in paper materials in a bright gold and white classroom.

Family Engagement Nights at Your School

Does your school community need more family engagement? Partner with A4L to plan a dynamic family-focused evening of fun centered around a relevant curriculum area! Families will enjoy an easy-to-follow arts-infused demo lesson led by trained teaching artists. With dozens…

A child looking straight into the camera with a proud smile stands in front of a large trifold display collaged in children's art. They are wearing a lavender t-shirt that says, "Afer School Arts for Learning Academy."

Abrupt Federal Cuts to After School Programs: Our Response

Dear Friends and Supporters, On Friday, we learned that–due to the US Department of Education’s decision to renege on previously approved pandemic-recovery funding–Baltimore City Schools was forced to abruptly cancel our After School Arts for Learning Academy (ASALA) at five…

A message from our CEO…

This letter reaches you at a time when many things happening in our country threaten the work Arts for Learning does, how we do it, who has access to our programs, and in many cases, the people in our community.…

Blactastic performers Debra Mims, Baba Bomani, Jamaal “Mr. Root” Collier, Quynn Johnson, Drew Anderson, and Jessica “Culture Queen” Smith along with videographer Jimmy Powell gather in the shade of a white, wooden gazebo on a bright, sunny day. The group–in matching black t-shirts printed with Arts for Learning's bold cyan, magenta, and yellow logo–smiles into the camera.

Blacktastic! 2025 – Black History Month Content like no other

This February, the fifth annual Blacktastic! returns, bigger and better than ever! Looking for joyful, original, and exciting Black History Month programming? Join us in celebrating the joy of Maryland’s Black history and culture through Blacktastic! This extended virtual program…

Arts for Learning Maryland Selected to Join Bloomberg Philanthropies Digital Accelerator Program

Arts for Learning will join a cohort of 200 nonprofit cultural organizations from across the U.S. and U.K. to improve essential digital infrastructure. Today, Arts for Learning announced that it has been selected to join the Bloomberg Philanthropies Digital Accelerator…

The Arts for Learning Maryland Board of Directors surround Stacie Sanders Evans on s stage. The group is smiling into the camera with Stacie in the middle. A board member in a bright pink blazer holds a framed photo collage stitched together by artist Katherine Dilworth.

Celebrating Stacie Sanders Evans’ 20 Years at the Helm

Twenty years ago, Arts for Learning Maryland (then Young Audiences of Maryland) looked and felt a lot like it did when it was founded in 1950. A staff of four was focused on booking artists for predominantly school assemblies, mostly…

A woman dressed in black and wearing a name tag smiles as she holds a hand-drawn poster that says, "Match My Joy." A smiley face emoji stands in place of the letter O in the word 'joy.'

Empowering Leaders, Engaging Learners: The 2024 Principal Fellowship

Fourteen school principals from four Maryland school districts recently united for the first time at Sankofa Children’s Museum of African Cultures. The gathering served as a welcome to an esteemed professional development program for outstanding leaders in education: The Arts…

Pink, green, and blue post-it notes cover a white board. The word 'mindfulness' is written at the top of the board in red letters. The post-it notes have the handwriting of many people and convey their thoughts about mindfulness.

Putting the “Teaching” in “Teaching Artist”

Our summer programs have ended, the school year is about to begin, and our teaching artists are ready to return to classrooms with more experience partnering with teachers and engaging students in joyful, creative, and academically strong lessons. Each year,…

Students are dressed for warm weather in t-shirts and shorts. They are in a classroom, lined up on chairs, and drumming on overturned orange buckets.

A Peek into Summer at Arts for Learning Maryland

Summer is in full swing, bringing with it soaring temps, plenty of sun, and, for thousands of Maryland students, the arts. This month, students across the state are experiencing a variety of Arts for Learning Maryland’s arts-integrated summer programs that…

Arts for Learning Maryland Awarded Grant to Expand Bloomberg Arts Internship Program for Baltimore’s Public High School Students

Arts for Learning Maryland’s Bloomberg Arts Internship Program (BAI) is expanding to reach more students in Baltimore City thanks to a generous grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Bloomberg Arts Internship Program offers Baltimore City Public Schools rising seniors full-time, paid…

Two ASALA students — one in a green shirt and one in a black hijab — smile and make peace signs at the camera.

US Department of Education Honors A4L and City Schools’ SALA and ASALA Partnership

Study shows measurable impact of ASALA participation Huge news! Arts for Learning Maryland, in partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools, has been recognized by the US Department of Education (DOE) for the Summer Arts for Learning Academy (SALA) and After…