9. Reinforce Arts and Heritage Education.

Develop and strengthen Vermont’s communities and creative workforce through the support of arts, heritage, and community-based education incentives.

a.         Fully implement all existing Vermont Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities related to the arts and humanities and ensure their equitable implementation in every public K-12 school in Vermont.[i]

b.         Develop a coordinated “Vermont Content” curriculum for K-12 students in history, geography, arts, humanities, and culture and enhance the professional development offerings for Vermont school teachers that focus on these areas.

c.         Encourage informal, community-based education through partnerships between K-12 schools, town libraries, and cultural organizations.

d.         Provide practical experience (internships, mentors, etc.) for students interested in pursuing careers in technology, fine arts, and the applied arts through partnerships among public schools and tech centers, higher education, cultural organizations, and creative sector businesses.

e.         Expand the Department of Education’s successful “Career Academies” model with programs relating to the creative economy including the performing, visual, and applied arts.

f.           Inventory all higher education courses and resources in Vermont that relate to the creative economy to identify what is currently available to attract potential students and opportunities for expanding these offerings.

g.         Assure workforce retraining programs recognize the potential for jobs in the creative economy and teach the skills needed to prepare workers for this sector.

LEAD: VT Dept. of Education

PARTNERS: Governor, VT Legislature, Cultural Coordinating Council, Consortium of VT Colleges, VT Dept. of Employment and Training, UVM Center for Research on VT and VT Studies Program

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