Art classes are an essential part to most elementary schools’ educations, but why not in high school? Art classes are underappreciated and it’s time we address the incredible benefits students are missing out on. High-school students need to be made aware of this incredible resource sitting at their fingertips.

Art classes provides students with implicit learning of necessary life-long skills. According to Seneca Academy, art integration helps students develop vital motor, language, social, and decision-making skills.

Art classes provide challenges that students need to overcome and then that translates into their daily lives. When I took an art class, I was forced to go out of my comfort zone and talk to strangers around me about my art and be vulnerable with my opinion; that heavily reflected in my daily life as I was more comfortable being outgoing.

Lauren’s County Board of Education brings up a good point that many students don’t plan to pursue a future in art but many colleges appreciate any sort of experience in art; colleges recognize the proven advantages art classes provide to students.

A study of Missouri public schools in 2010, explained by Seneca Academy concluded that art classes led to fewer disciplinary infractions and more participation in school. What more could a teacher want? Attendance and graduation rates are higher for students involved in art classes and have a direct correlation with success in math classes.

From my personal experience taking art classes as well as my friends’ experiences, we had very similar thoughts on why we were more productive in our other classes when we had an art class on our schedule. We felt that when we had a class that we could complete disengage from all other stresses, assignments, and distractions we could refresh our mind and want to be more productive when we were done. These art classes would challenge us to approach problems in different ways, challenging our mind in a fun and exciting way not in the typical stressful challenges of other classes.

Beyond just improving important skills, art classes have been researched to improve mental health according to the University of Florida Online Master of Arts in Art Education. As art classes lower stress levels and increase social skills, they promote physical and psychological well-being. In every art class I’ve ever taken, I always felt very accepted and understood even if I don’t know the students, I share the class with.

This resource is at our fingertips and could not be easier to integrate. It would be idiotic for students to consider adding art classes to their schedule. School board officials, teachers, and parents should continue research into potentially requiring art classes in high school as it is their responsibility to provide students with every opportunity and resource to be successful in the future.