Local Partners
Some of the most impactful advocacy for arts education starts at home... in your own county school district.
Since the 1990s, Florida Alliance for Arts Education has supported local communities in their work to advance arts education through local partnerships such as ACE Coalitions (ACE stands for Arts for a Complete Education, a concept birthed by the Florida Department of Education in 1990). These efforts have benefited from strong support from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts.
ACE Coalitions (which may go by other names) are area partnerships who advocate for arts education in our schools and other learning environments for students in early learning (ages 0-5), in public/private/charter schools (grades K-12), and lifelong learning in schools and communities.
Over the years, ACE Coalitions have worked successfully in counties across Florida to support and preserve arts education in their school districts and communities.
Free Toolkit
To learn more about local partnerships such as ACE Coalitions and how to create one in your county, you can download our free ACE Coalition Toolkit! All you need to do is fill out the "Individual Arts Education Advocate" survey below to get the download link. You can also directly contact FAAE at director@faae.org to chat about your efforts to build a partnership.
Examples of Local Partnerships (more examples listed in the toolkit)
Community/Schools Partnership for the Arts
Arts education advocates, tell us more about yourself in one of the surveys below.
Are you an individual arts education advocate, interested in working with others in your county? FAAE is available to guide and connect you with mentors. Tell us about yourself using the survey below. You'll get access to our free ACE Coalition Toolkit at the completion of the survey.
Are you part of an existing arts education partnership such as an ACE coalition, local arts agency or other arts education advocacy group? FAAE wants to hear from you about your goals, advocacy initiatives and triumphs. We can help amplify your voice, and celebrate your successes. Share your story using the survey below.
FAAE holds statewide ACE Coalition meetings twice a year, one in the fall focusing on the state of arts education, and one in the spring focusing on successes and planning for the coming school year. The spring meeting will be held at the FAAE Annual Leadership Summit in March 2023. Make sure you're on our list to get information about these meetings by filling out one of the surveys below.
Statewide Partners
FAAE partners with statewide service organizations to achieve its mission and vision and to coordinate messages and activities. The Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Department of Education are co-founders of FAAE and continue to support and advise.
Florida Department of Education
The Florida Department of Education (DOE) provides annual funding through the ACE (Arts for a Complete Education) Grant. DOE Fine Arts Curriculum Specialist, John LeTellier is a liaison tour board and oversees work related to the ACE grant.
Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs
The Division of Cultural Affairs (DCA) funds special programs that further the aims of Culture Builds Florida. A DCA representative sits ex officio on the FAAE Board of Directors.
Certain service organizations have developed a special working relationship with FAAE:
Florida Cultural Alliance (FLCA): develops statewide strategy and messages for advocacy for the arts with a primary focus on arts organizations. FLCA cooperates with FAAE in developing the legislative position paper related to arts education. FAAE and FLCA share action alerts and encourage their members to support both aspects of arts and cultural funding.
Florida Art Educators Association (FAEA), Florida Association for Theatre Education (FATE) Florida Dance Education Organization (FDEO), and Florida Music Educators Association (FMEA) are the four professional service organizations serving arts educators. Each of these service organizations has a liaison on the FAAE board and works with FAAE to coordinate shared goals. FMEA takes a lead in following legislation and policy that impacts arts education and disseminates that information through FLCA, FAAE, and the other professional service organizations.
Statewide Professional Service Organizations
National Partners
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National Endowment for the Arts
The NEA is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts -- both new and established, bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education.
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Arts Education Partnership
The Arts Education Partnership provides information and communication about current and emerging arts education policies, issues, and activities at the national, state, and local levels. Our major projects and activities include: commissioning and disseminating research about critical arts and education issues; maintaining and linking databases on state-level policies for arts education; and convening national forums around significant themes and issues in the field.
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Americans for the Arts
Americans for the Arts is the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With 45 years of service, Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts.
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National School Boards Association
Through our affiliation with the Kennedy Center, each year FAAE nominates a school board for national recognition by the Kennedy Center and National School Boards Association for Outstanding School Board Support of the Arts. Polk County School Board received the award in 2009 and the Sarasota County School Board Received the award in 2004.
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National Guild for Community Arts Education
The mission of the National Guild is to ensure all people have opportunities to maximize their creative potential. We accomplish this by developing leaders, strengthening organizations, and advocating for community arts education.