Get involved in Youth Art Month.

Youth Art Month (YAM) is an annual observance each March to emphasize the value of art education for all students and to encourage support for quality school art programs.

The Council for Art Education (CFAE) and Youth Art Month (YAM) need your support to build upon our worthwhile work to raise awareness for the need for quality visual art education programs for children nationwide. We also encourage and recognize the efforts of the state art education associations that use YAM as an art advocacy tool to promote this need and increase the funding for quality art education in their states.

Each March, the YAM observance spotlights art and art education through governors' and mayors' proclamations, states' capitol events, thousands of local exhibits, and other creative venues, such as Symphony programs, billboards, restaurant placemats, utilities' customer flyers, supermarket bags, and hundreds more ways. It has the endorsement and support of many U.S. senators and members of Congress and state legislators who speak out on behalf of art education. CFAE encourages and assists state YAM chairpersons, who are appointed by state art education association presidents, in their efforts to stimulate and coordinate state and local activities. These chairpersons submit reports to CFAE each year detailing their efforts and results. CFAE recognizes outstanding achievement at the state level by conferring awards on state chairpersons.

Thanks to generous contributions from donors, CFAE raised awareness about the need for quality visual art education programs through national YAM observances, including the display of the YAM Flags at the 2003 Congressional Arts Caucus Breakfast, the 17th Annual National YAM Flag Event in Washington, DC, and distribution of YAM information and display of the YAM state flags at several national conferences.

Your donations to the Council and YAM's Annual Fund help to support these activities that show federal and state legislators, government and education officials, businesses, community leaders, teachers, and parents the importance of keeping visual art education funded and in the schools. As you consider your contribution to the Council and YAM, please take a moment to reflect upon the impact that art has on your life.

In addition, contributions may be made separately to the 2004 "Sponsor a Flag Designer" Fund to send student flag designers to the Washington, DC Flag Event and the 2004 Congressional Arts Caucus Breakfast to receive recognition for their unique, artistic YAM flags. Participants come from all over the United States and the cost of airline travel can be prohibitive. We need your help to have the "Visual Arts Shine in Front of Congress," by sponsoring a Flag Designer, either from your state or any participating state with a designer in need of assistance.

We need your help to continue the good work of the Council. Your help makes a difference. If you have any questions or wish to make a contribution, please contact Debbie Fanning at CFAE, P. O. Box 479, Hanson, MA 02341 or [phone] or [e-mail].