| Dear Friends of Art in Action, As the calendar turns to Fall, the sight of students learning in classrooms is a most welcome one. We are so grateful for the work and dedication by teachers and school leaders to fully reopen schools after a year and a half. In addition, we are grateful to Art in Action teachers and volunteers who brought our program to children during the period of distance learning and continue in this school year. Art in Action volunteers reported that teaching art lessons provided a bit of “normalcy” for children during an uncertain time, and serves as an effective tool for emotional and creative expression. This year, many of our schools have started Art in Action lessons earlier than in past years, as our art lessons have been used to help students transition back to in-person learning. In October 2021, the US Department of Education (DOE) released new guidelines to address increased student mental wellness concerns. One recommendation is to encourage educators to integrate the arts into students’ school time. Creating art in a classroom supports four tenets of culturally-responsive social-emotional learning: fostering awareness of emotions, developing skills to manage and express emotions, building positive relationships, and creating an inclusive community. And, not to be underestimated, creating art is fun and brings joy! Art in Action strives to continue our work to provide arts education to educational institutions. I hope that you will find moments of joy this Fall season, and thank you for your partnership in promoting mental wellness for children by supporting Art in Action. With appreciation, Mary | 