Baryn Futa encourages amplified arts in education

 Quite unfortunately, the dollars dedicated to arts education has decreased in the last decade or so. This decline has changed school environments and the interests of students. It’s refocused students toward more academically inclined studies, such as STEM education fields, but it’s also caused fewer creative adults moving into the arts field professionally. And while arts may be a core part of education at an elementary level, it’s increasingly removed from secondary studies. Baryn Futa, a well-known arts supporter and benefactor, has worked tirelessly to reinvigorate arts education and remind schools everywhere how important lessons in art can be.

Vast research supports Futa’s long-held beliefs in the importance of an arts education. In hiring, employers frequently seek “creativity” as a necessary skill if not the most important one. And prior to that, within the college environment, students engaged in a form of art -- visual, musical, etc. -- are twice as likely to graduate with a degree than those fellow students who forgoed the arts. Lower dropout rates, higher standardized testing scores and more engagement among all socioeconomic statuses are other benefits that Baryn Futa amplifies to keep arts education in the classroom. An astounding 93% of those within the United States hold a belief that the arts are a necessary puzzle piece within a well-rounded education. That alone, said Futa, should keep them at the educational forefront.