I think that it's super important that we have the arts integration and the history integration because like I said, if not it’s just boring. If we're just drilling kill with reading and math and we're adding depth to the curriculum, we're helping the kids become more well-rounded. Kids who don't like reading in math, it gives them a chance to find something that they love that makes them want to come to school. So it makes our school awesome. We love it.

I think this program should be in every school. I think what I would say, and I have friends who don't have it in their school and have asked me questions. They've said, how do I get this? You're so lucky. You're lucky to be who you are that your kids get these experiences. But for me, what I would say is it's not just dance. It's not just art, right? It is about integrated learning and meeting the kids where they are and giving them a different way to learn. And so it's crucial to bring it on to fund it.

It's important to understand that the arts are very healing, especially to families that need that social and emotional connection. There could be traumatic events or just children that are having difficulty learning how to control their emotions. And the arts really lend themselves to healing in ways that I feel like are physical, mental, even spiritual in some ways. The families need to know that drama and these special classes are an outlet for children. And by having these experiences now, I think they'll have more opportunities in middle school and high school.

Well, at first I thought, oh, that'll be fun. I didn't think about the academic intentions and things. But after last year, and then especially seeing this year, I've seen a lot of amazing impacts on student reading and listening and speaking skills and just overall confidence and motivation.

My goal for my children with their elementary educational experience was just that they maintained a love of learning. That was my main goal. And Edith Bowen has accomplished that goal for my children beautifully. And a lot of that is because they focus on so many different aspects of the child and being creative and being able to be artistic and have that factor into their day in lots of different ways, I think has just helped them be a more complete human, which helps them succeed academically in other ways.

BTS Arts has been wildly helpful for 'em. Just, I'm trying to put it into words. So especially my oldest, when they did in fourth grade, they did a play. That's when they were able to do the play for her. And she, best way I can describe it, she came alive. It just like she, I saw her on stage and it was like, oh my gosh. She's just like, she's alive. And it brought this passion out in her that I had never seen before. And it was like this, I don't know, it was just like she came into herself.

I feel like I've had students who are excited to go to school. They look forward to when the school year starts again after summer break. They're excited to see, and it's not just to see their friends. They have teachers that they know are supporting them. They get to explore things that maybe we don't do on a day-to-day basis in my own house. They get to have those kinds of experiences that I think have really benefited them and also they love it, and that brings so much joy to them and to our family.

I think (BTS Arts is) hugely important in the public school system because you have a wide variety of kids. You have a wide variety of family backgrounds, where they come from, how they learn individually, how their families teach them at home, what additional resources they have. And so the more the public education system can do to give kids varied ways to learn and retain information, the better off we’re going to be as a society.