is considered one of the core subjects in the No Child Left Behind Act, there are many who fear for its future. The contribution of arts education to children’s development The arts are often perceived as a hobby, an interest or purely as a recreational occupation. In a society where the entire educational system is based on preparing a future work force, focus is put on the STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and the arts are neglected. In a time of economic instability resources are strictly distributed and the arts are ever so often first to get cut. Yet, research on the effects of arts education on children’s learning and development show significant positive outcomes on children exposed to arts programs with teacher supervision compared to children not exposed to arts education. Research shows that children exposed to arts do better in school, develop greater social, cognitive and emotional skills and are more likely to earn higher degrees of education later in life. Academic effects Participation in arts programs is positively correlated with increased academic achievement, including higher math and verbal SAT scores, when compared to the performance of students without arts education. Research by the National Educational Longitudinal Survey (NELS;88), a panel study which has followed more than 25,000 students in American secondary schools for 10 years, show significant results on the positive outcomes from children exposed to high arts in school with a teacher supervising. The study examines the time from 8th grade through 10th and 12th grade and throughout high school. Furthermore, this study, conducted by James Catterall and colleagues, which started in the mid-90s followed up on the same students at age 26 in 2009. An exploratory study published by the National Art Education Association looked at the integration of arts in classroom curriculum and concluded that this integration enhanced academic learning because of the fully immersive engagement of the arts, which allows students to understand different perspectives, safely take risks, express feelings through less restrictive modes, and draw parallels between the arts and traditional core subject areas. Excerpt from Renaissance in the Classroom: Arts Integration and Meaningful Learning One familiar movement in schools today is the alignment of curriculum with multiple intelligences. Howard Gardner's (1983) theory of multiple intelligences (MI), outlined in his book, Frames of Mind, has contributed to the increasing awareness of the value of the arts in children's learning and