Advocacy, Recruitment & Sustainability
Learn how to grow and sustain thriving arts programs. Sessions focus on storytelling, community engagement, recruitment strategies, and advocacy tools that elevate visibility and impact.
Recommended for: K-12 School Administrators, Higher Ed Administrators (Deans, Recruiters, Enrollment, etc), Middle School Educators This session will include many effective methods used in improving student recruiting at a secondary arts school. Three areas of focus will include using data to communicate and expand growth, bringing recruits to your campus through tours and events, and taking your programs “on the road” to other schools and community sites.
Recommended for: K-12 School Administrators, Elementary Educators, Middle School Educators, High School Educators, Fundraising Professionals/Foundations, Art Instructors If we don’t tell our story, someone else will—and they may get it wrong. This session is built on a simple idea: if we want to influence enrollment, we need to influence the narrative. Participants will learn practical, manageable social media strategies that educators and programs can implement immediately—no marketing background required. From creating authentic, engaging content to building consistency and visibility, this session focuses on real-world approaches that work within the time constraints educators actually face. These strategies are not theoretical. Since 2024, applying them at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts has led to a nearly 2,000% increase in social media engagement, significantly expanding reach, visibility, community connection, and enrollment. Nationally, public schools are serving more than 1.2 million fewer students than they did before the pandemic, and projections from the National Center for Education Statistics indicate enrollment could decline by an additional 2.7 million students by 2031. At the same time, many families are turning to private and home schooling—often influenced by narratives that public schools are falling short. But if we’re not actively telling our story, how will families know the truth about the powerful, innovative work happening in our classrooms every day? The reality is that communication has changed. Today, 5.66 billion people use social media worldwide, 93% of internet users are active on these platforms, and 53% of U.S. adults get their news from social media. Whether we like it or not, social media is now the primary space where perceptions are formed and decisions are made. That means it’s also our most effective opportunity to connect with families, showcase student success, and strengthen community trust. If we want families to see the value of public education, we can’t wait for someone else to tell that story. We have to lead it. Join this session to learn how to amplify your program, strengthen recruitment, and ensure your community sees the incredible work happening in your classrooms.
Recommended for: K-12 School Administrators, Middle School Educators, High School Educators, School Counselors Recruitment in arts education is often reduced to a brief presentation, but in just a few minutes, we are asking students to imagine a new identity, a new community, and a new possibility for themselves. What if recruitment was designed as an experience instead? This session introduces a dynamic three-part framework, Active, Latent, and Social Media presence, that reimagines recruitment as an arts-based, student-centered process. Drawing from real-world practice in a high-demand performing arts magnet program, this session demonstrates how performance, community visibility, and storytelling work together to create lasting impressions that inspire students to take the next step. Participants will experience how short in-school visits can become engaging performance moments through techniques such as call-and-response, audience participation, and narrative storytelling. Through a live model, attendees will see how a simple musical interaction and a well-timed story can transform a room, spark curiosity, and leave students with something they are excited to share at home. Beyond the initial visit, this session explores how latent recruitment builds awareness through authentic community presence. Student performances, partnerships, and public events allow families to encounter arts programs in meaningful, real-world contexts. Finally, participants will examine how social media amplifies these moments by capturing and sharing the everyday experiences of students in ways that build connection, visibility, and trust. Attendees will leave with a practical, replicable framework and ready-to-use strategies to transform recruitment into a powerful, arts-driven experience that turns a moment of curiosity into a pathway of possibility.
Recommended for: K-12 School Administrators, Higher Ed Administrators (Deans, Recruiters, Enrollment, etc), Elementary Educators, Middle School Educators, High School Educators, College Educators, Fundraising Professionals/Foundations, Art Instructors It's time to get loud and get funding flowing! Arts education plays a critical role in fostering creativity, academic achievement, and student well-being, yet access remains uneven and often under threat. This interactive workshop equips participants with practical tools and innovative strategies to advocate effectively for arts education at the local, state, and national levels. Grounded in both research and real-world practice, the session explores how to build meaningful relationships with decision-makers, communicate impact through compelling stories and data, and mobilize communities to support sustainable arts programming. Participants will also engage with creative, out-of-the-box advocacy approaches—including public performances, visual campaigns, and student-led initiatives—that elevate visibility and inspire action. Emphasizing the intersection of arts education with broader priorities such as equity, workforce development, and mental health, this workshop empowers educators, artists, and advocates to position the arts as essential rather than supplemental. Attendees will leave with a ready-to-use advocacy toolkit and actionable strategies to drive change in their own communities.