| | | |  With each new year comes new challenges and new opportunities. This one is proving to be no different. First and foremost, our hearts are with our friends and colleagues in the Los Angeles area who have been plagued by the devastating wildfires. We know no words can offer solace as you begin the year, but you are close in our thoughts.
On a more tangible note, we press on in our work on behalf of communities working in the arts, education leadership, and youth development. This year we will be sharing several final reports from multiyear studies, revealing what we've learned from grantees and partners over years of engagement, data collection, analysis, and collaboration. Keep an eye out for the following: - A comprehensive look at what we've learned about summer learning from years of Wallace-supported research and other studies
- How communities brought together schools and out-of-school time partners to support students' social and emotional learning
- A close look at how four school districts approached implementing their principal pipelines for sustainability
As some of our initiatives are ending, others are moving to exciting new phases. Advancing Opportunities for Adolescents will expand to support cross-sector partnerships as they leverage the youth development/out-of-school time sector to bring positive change for adolescents, especially those furthest from opportunity. Earlier this week, we announced eight new grantees selected to participate in the research component of our ongoing Advancing Well-Being in the Arts initiative. And throughout the year, we'll be sharing stories from the leaders in the eight school districts teaming up with community, research, and university partners to stand up an equity-centered principal pipeline.
This year marks my second year at Wallace, and I remain grateful and optimistic. While producing and sharing knowledge is what guides us, the potential for that knowledge to contribute to positive change is what drives us. My hope is that 2025 turns out to be a year of record positive change, both in the communities we work alongside and beyond.
Robin V. Harris
Vice President, Communications | | Six Months to Summer
Interested in growing summer learning in your district? The summer months offer an unmatched opportunity to promote student academic and social growth. Learn how nine states have prioritized and expanded summer learning opportunities for students in this report from Learning Policy Institute. | | | Announcing Eight New Research Grants
Learn about the eight new research grants we have awarded to arts organizations founded by, for, and with communities of color and social science researchers to conduct their own research on issues relevant to their organizations and communities. | | | Museums & Community
If your New Year's resolution is to visit more museums, consider adding the Arab American National Museum and the Fredericksburg Area Museum to your list. These institutions and many more are embracing the idea of creative placemaking, a framework that integrates arts and culture to help strengthen communities. | | | A Fit for All Districts
How do districts of various sizes approach school leadership development? A report from RAND's American School District Panel survey of 156 districts delves into this and other questions about building principal pipelines. | | | That's a Wrap! Top 10 Articles of 2024
While we're already working on new stories for 2025, take one last look at the most popular stories on our website from last year–from arts strategies that hold up to AI in schools and busting myths about principals. | | | The Wallace Foundation is currently accepting grant proposals from researchers and/or arts organizations to create research-practice partnerships that will investigate well-being in arts organizations of color. Letters of intent due Jan. 20, 2025 | | |  | Schools, Districts, States
Chronic absenteeism amongst Native American students is significantly higher than other groups, says The Associated Press. Learn how districts are working to shrink the statistics.
A council of parents and educators on Martha's Vineyard, Mass., aims to address the needs of English-learning students.
Oklahoma state superintendent Ryan Walters is crafting a bill that would make public school superintendents an elected office.
A high school principal in Virginia brought youth voice to the forefront when he asked students to help hire an assistant principal. (paywall may apply)
Summer, Afterschool, Social and Emotional Learning
Read about how Hilltop Artists, a youth development arts nonprofit in Tacoma, is using glass-blowing to create art and connections with students.
A recent report highlights the challenges that early and school-aged learning educators in Indiana face and how investing in the workforce can help the future of Indiana's children and economy.
Five years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maine Department of Education is still working to address students'—and teachers'—social and emotional needs.
Learn more about Club Aspen: the therapeutic afterschool program helping teens in Colorado care for their mental health.
Santa Barbara, Calif., recently adopted a bundle of free afterschool enrichment offerings for all elementary school students.
The Arts
American Theatre dissects a Wallace-funded report on building arts audiences, asking the questions: is there a secret to audience sustainability, and are theatres ready to make change?
SMU DataArts released its list of 2024's top 40 most arts-vibrant communities in the U.S.
From improv to painting to music, Scottsdale Arts' Memory Lounge uses art to engage older adults experiencing memory loss.
In this op-ed, high schooler Angeline Patrick Pacheco argues for the importance of funding public school arts education.
Learn about how Columbus, Ohio-based nonprofit Healing Broken Circles employs arts programming to center the talents, voices, and creativity of individuals impacted by mass incarceration.
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