Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education

CAPE increases students’ academic success, critical thinking and creativity through research-based, arts-driven education.

CAPE’s vision for arts in education positions the arts as central to the improvement of student learning and as a key element in vibrant, creative, and sustainable learning communities. CAPE advocates for a future when:

• All students engage the arts in education in order to develop critical and creative thinking skills
• Teachers, artists, school administrators and parents recognize the arts as a key strategy in improving students’ potential for academic success and creative fulfillment
• Policy makers, business leaders, and stakeholders value the arts as essential to a just and equal society, a thriving economy, and a democratic culture.

Since its founding in 1992, CAPE has, through its partnerships between schools, arts organizations, and community organizations, become recognized as a leader in the field of school improvement through the arts.

From the beginning, CAPE has continually collected data and engaged researchers and evaluators to study the organization’s programs. CAPE’s effectiveness in improving student achievement and in contributing to teacher and artist growth is well documented in many published studies and articles. Over the past few years, CAPE has initiated research strategies co-led by our participating teachers and artists, with the goal of clearly articulating what it is about the CAPE process that is successful, and how this methodology can be effectively shared with others.