Whereas arts education, comprising a rich array of disciplines including dance, music, theater, media arts, literature, design, and visual arts, is an essential element of a complete and well-rounded education for all students; Whereas arts education enables students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, imagination and creativity, discipline, alternative ways to communicate and express feelings and ideas, and cross-cultural understanding, which supports academic success nationwide as well as personal growth outside the classroom; Whereas the nonprofit arts sector is an economic engine and plays a significant role in the economic health of communities large and small with direct expenditures of wages and benefits as well as goods and services; Whereas to succeed in today’s economy, students must masterfully use words, images, sounds, and movement to communicate; Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning impacts over 5,000,000 schoolchildren annually with valuable arts-in-education programs; Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning presents more than 80,000 arts-in-education programs to students and teachers; Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning works with over 3,500 professional teaching artists; Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning produces programs in more than 8,600 schools and community centers annually; Whereas Young Audiences Arts for Learning encompasses 28 affiliates across the country, and the entire network of such affiliates is participating in the 2019 National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Weeks; Whereas Arkansas Learning through the Arts delivered 278 programs to more than 87,600 students across the State of Arkansas; Whereas Arts for Learning Connecticut worked with 252,750 students in the State of Connecticut last year; Whereas Arts for Learning Indiana engaged 129 teaching artists to deliver arts-integrated programs to nearly 48,000 students in the region