1. What is the movement for #OurEducation?

• We are creating student music/arts education student leadership opportunities through music and arts education advocacy.
•  Education is changing rapidly and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to reimagine education. 
• The only way to accurately reimagine our education is by elevating the voices of those who are currently in it, the students.

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2. Why should I participate in the movement for #OurEducation?

• Our music and arts education programs are at risk.
• Programs are getting reduced or defunded.
• Arts educators in many communities are being repurposed as classroom aides for the fall instead of actually teaching the arts.
• Educational decision-makers, superintendents, and board members do not understand truly the value and necessity for having access to music and arts education. 
• Students risk losing out on participating in the arts when we need these programs to get us through the rest of the pandemic. 

• Regardless of the educational climate, every student has the right to access high-quality music and arts education programs. 

• We can use the future of music and arts education as a way to unite our currently divided country. 

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3. Who can participate in the movement for #OurEducation?

• Primarily our audience is any current music or arts education student who is willing to use their social media platform for advocacy and mass messaging.

• However, anybody who believes in a better world due to preserving our music and arts education programs can participate.

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4. How can I participate in the movement for #OurEducation, is it time-consuming?

• It is really easy to participate in the movement. 

• We are systematically utilizing social media to collectively ask high profile musical celebrities, media influencers, and politicians to use their social media and lend their voice/platform in support of preserving our music and arts education programs.

• ​Levels of engagement:

  • Sign the petition to preserve our music and arts education programs.

  • Fill out our survey, we can use the results as advocacy data in the future.

  • Sign up to be on our email list.

  • Commenting on anyone’s social media only takes a few seconds of your time, we are making this as easy as possible.

• By signing up for our email list, you will receive emails providing updates in regards to whom we are targeting, the exact messaging, the time, and which platform we are using.

• We encourage anybody we reach out to via social media to participate in the movement by using their platforms/voice to amplify our message.

• You can also spread the word to any musicians, artists, teachers, students you know!

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5. When does the movement start for #OurEducation?

• We launched the movement on August 5th with 150 students joining. We began reaching out to various high profile musicians such as Adam Neely, Camille Thurman, Chad Lefkowitz Brown, and Wynton Marsalis.

• To increase our effectiveness and reach we are waiting to resume action until our base reaches 1000 students. 

• Once we reach 1000, we will target higher-profile individuals.

• In addition, we will also be coordinating with other campaigns to help spread the word (National Arts in Education Week, Believe in Music Week, Worldwide Day of Gratitude)

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6. Where can I find up to date information?

• YOUnison.org/student-advocacy

• Join our email list by clicking the “Join The Movement Button”

• Join our Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/258560111819327)

• Follow us on Instagram (@younisonedu), Twitter (@YOUnisonEdu), and like our Facebook (@YOUnison) to stay up to date with information (links in "contact" section).

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?​

1. National Action

We first need to preserve our programs. Once a national light gets shown on our movement, we will push for schools to rescind any educational decisions that are harmful to the arts.

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2. Local Advocacy

We will equip all current students with the tools to effectively advocate at the local level for the importance of music and arts education in their own communities.

• High School arts education students can work with collegiate music and art students by participating in local advocacy work throughout the year.

  • We have and will continue to provide local advocacy guidelines and resources. 

  • Student collegiate representation in high school programs to assist working on building the local and school culture through music and arts advocacy

  • Will be able to work on recruitment, build an aligned culture for k-12 music and arts education, as well as create a program for all future students to inherit.  

  • By advocating for our programs and allowing for new creative opportunities, we can ensure all future students inherit a new school and local culture that fosters both the arts and creativity.

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3. Concert Supplements

• We understand that performances are part of the experience within music education. Without having concerts, we still need some form of extrinsic motivation to help us keep going. 

• To supplement concerts, we will promote regular events such as Arts Education Week starting September 13th, NAMM believes in music week, A second “Worldwide Day of Gratitude,” as well as other days throughout the school year. We will use these times to flood social media feeds with creative music and art projects, that anybody can participate in. 

• We will invite any other musicians, artists, media influencers, or even politicians to use their social media to contribute to the celebration.

• Can take a more human approach

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4. "The Modern Harmony Podcast" 

• This is a new podcast we are in the middle of creating to serve as a supplement to music education. 

• We will invite anybody we reach out to during the movement to come speak on the podcast.

• Young students tend to look up to both athletes and artists when they are growing up, while sports are at a pause, this opens the opportunity for more musicians and artists to step forward.

• More info coming soon!

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5. How can this be used in the classroom?

• We will provide reflection worksheets with up to date standards that align with Social-Emotional Learning.

• Each experience can be related directly to each individual, meeting them where they are along the way. 

• Growth will vary per student’s level of engagement.

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