Despite the $4M allocation of funds to the city's public schools, arts education advocates say it is not enough

The executive director of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable, Kimberly Olsen, recently called on the City Council and mayor to prioritize funding for arts education in NYC schools and communities during a recent City Council hearing.

- BY LEYRIAN COLÓN SANTIAGO Special to the AmNews

During a New York City Council Committee on Cultural Affairs preliminary budget hearing about the critical role of cultural organizations, Olsen urged council members to protect funding for the arts and ensure no student loses access to arts education opportunities.

"The Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Development Fund are essential resources for NYC's arts education community, enabling hundreds of organizations to deliver essential arts education services across all five boroughs. These programs cultivate not only the next generation of arts workers and audiences but prepare our city's young people with the skills necessary to enter the 21st-century workforce," said Olsen.