1. What is the Institute for Education and the Arts, and what does it do?
   
2. How is IEA funded?
   
3. How does a community develop a partnership with the Institute?
   
4. How does an IEA National Overture fit into a community partnership with IEA?
   
5. How can communities connect with communities that have already developed partnerships with IEA?
   
6. How can I find out more?

1. What is the Institute for Education and the Arts, and what does it do?
The Institute for Education and the Arts is a national non-profit, based in Washington, DC, that works in DC and with communities across the country in developing awareness, support and use of arts-integrated education.

IEA works with leading community voices representing education, arts, business, parents and policy makers to develop a local advisory committee. This committee works with IEA to develop appropriate long-term plans for the community, which include a locally hosted National Overture of Education and the Arts, professional development opportunities for local educators, and public discussion forums for any interested and/or concerned community member.

IEA’s programs are targeted mainly for K-12 educators, community members who are actively involved with providing and supporting effective education for all students in grades K-12 and anyone who is interested in strengthening the community by assuring the success of all students.

2. How is IEA funded?
IEA is funded by federal and state government grants, as well as by grants and contributions from businesses, corporations, private and public foundations and individual donors. IEA is not a funding organization, but uses its funding to begin to develop the local community partnership. As the community partnership evolves and develops specific programming, the Institute works with the local advisory committee to develop sustainable local funding for continued programming.

3. How does a community develop a partnership with the Institute?
Interested individuals or groups of individuals representing leading voices in the community (education, arts, business, or policy making) contact the Institute expressing interest in developing a community partnership with the Institute.

The Institute then spends undertakes extensive research to learn more about the community, including information about the local schools, arts organizations and other community organizations and resources, community demographics, and community interests.

This information and continued conversation with the initial community contacts helps the Institute identify a local coordinator to work with and represent the Institute and to establish a local advisory committee.

The membership of the local advisory committee reflects the education, arts, parent, business, policy and cultural interests and composition of the community. As the partnership and programming with IEA develop, additional interested individuals become involved. Click here for more information.

4. How does an IEA National Overture fit into a community partnership with IEA?
A National Overture of Education and the Arts is one type of programming that IEA develops with a community partner. The purpose of the Overture program is to bring a focused awareness throughout the community regarding the importance of arts in education and to build broadened and strengthened support for what is currently happening with arts in education, as well as to build support for expanding current program and opportunities to make arts in education a regular and frequent element of every K-12 students’ schooling.

The local coordinator and local advisory committee work with the IEA staff to determine the best timing and scale of the Overture program. Sometimes an Overture comes near the beginning of the community partnership, other times it comes more towards the middle of the work of the partnership.

Timing for the Overture is individualized for each community and is determined by the needs, interests, assets and other related initiatives of the community. Once the timing of the Overture is determined, additional members of the community and the schools become involved in planning and conducting the Overture, as well as participating as both presenters and audience for the Overture.

IEA also works with the local advisory committee and involved community and school members to help identify key target audiences for specific Overture events and to make them aware of the Overture opportunity.

The Institute works with the local advisory committee to secure funding to cover the costs of the Overture, which include artists and presenter fees; marketing; publishing, printing and distributing programs; videotaping and Overture report costs. All Overture programming is offered to the public free of charge to attend the events.

The Institute continues to work in partnership with the community and the local advisory committee to build on the National Overture experience and heightened community awareness and support to develop plans for professional development for K-12 educators on arts integrated education and for continued and expanded community involvement and support.

5. How can communities connect with communities that have already developed partnerships with IEA?
Communities that are interested in working with the Institute for Education and the Arts and interested in learning more about how the community partnership program has worked for other communities should contact IEA at info@edartsinstitute.org or contact members of the community local advisory committees or participating organizations listed in the Overture program brochures

6. How can I find out more?
To find our more about the Institute read the reports on Roundtable Discussions, Panel Discussions, and past Overtures in other communities on the IEA website. Also you can email the Institute at info@edartsinstitute.org with your specific questions. To stay informed about the latest news and models of arts in education and connect with like-minded colleagues, join the IEA listserv.