Student Demographics & Achievement - Chase Avenue Elementary School's student body is predominantly low-income, with approximately 90.1% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch [1] - Access to quality arts education can reduce achievement gaps for students from low-income backgrounds [1] Benefits of Arts Education - Arts education can improve physical well-being by disguising exercise as fun [2][3][4] - Arts education can positively impact mental health by reducing stress levels [2][4][6][9] - Arts education can improve communication skills [2][7][8][9] - Arts programs contribute to students' overall success at school [5] - Arts education helps students engage with school, enrich their experiences, handle constructive criticism, and improve focus [7] Impact on Student Development - Arts participation fosters self-expression and collaboration [5][6][8] - Arts participation helps students build new skills and become comfortable with being nervous [6] - Personal experience shows improved physical well-being, lower stress levels, and enhanced communication skills through arts engagement [9] - Improved attendance is noted as a benefit of arts participation [9]