Youth Art Month is an annual observance each March to emphasize the value of art education for all children and to encourage support for quality school art programs.

Art education develops self-esteem, appreciation of the work of others, self-expression, teamwork, and critical thinking skills, skills vital to the success of our future leaders -- our children.

In "The Nation and the Arts," a Presidential briefing paper prepared by the Independent Committee on Arts Policy, it was stated: "Well-developed programs of making and studying art serve many functions. They help students better articulate their perceptions and shape coherent responses to their experiences. When children learn to appreciate form and color...when they learn the importance of fashioning their own images of the world around them, they achieve greater discipline and self confidence. Further, the arts have extrinsic public value as they are increasingly important to this nation's economy."

Assign students to choose to participate in a specific arts or crafts activity. But each student's activity must be different than any other one selected. You could, however, designate teams of two or three students to agree on a common activity and let them organize the resources for that activity.

Click the Activities link under the Database Features section. Next, select Art Projects for students to browse to submit their selections to you for approval.

March is National Crafts Month and Youth Art Month. All kids love Arts and Crafts activities, and usually they're fun for teachers too.

Here are some tips for managing arts and crafts activities to get the most educational value for your students courtesy of Amazing Moms.

1. Encourage all art projects as a process, not product activity. What may be a mess to you, could be a new planet, zoo or the next NASA spacecraft to your student.
   
   
2. Allow children to explore on their own. This develops creativity but teaches problem solving, spatial relationships as well as cause and effect--skills they'll need later for math and other academics.
   
   
3. Refrain from showing examples of a completed project. Especially, any that may have been completed by an adult.
   
   
4. Provide the supplies and instructions, they'll do the rest. Resist asking "What is it?" Instead try "Tell me about it."
   
   
5. Avoid automatic praise such as "that's beautiful" or "very good". Asking your young artist how they feel about their creation and the experience of making it will build confidence and language arts skills.

eLibrary Elementary has resources and links to websites that provide a gallery of arts and crafts activities for every season. You can use two methods of getting resources for your students to use for the arts and crafts activities:

• Click the Topics tab > Arts & Crafts
  
  
• Click Art Projects & Activities > Art Projects > Crafts
  
  
• Browse and make your selection > Look for seasonal activities

Another great source of crafts activities resources can be found in the special BookCart created to support Elementary teachers -- the title is "Arts and Crafts Projects."

To find and copy this BookCart designed for teachers instead of students, use this procedure:

1. Open the eLibrary Elementary Teacher Edition
   
   
2. Click the BookCart Admin link
   
   
3. Click the ProQuest Carts tab > Open the "Elementary BookCarts" folder
   
   
4. Click the Copy icon to the right of "Arts and Crafts Projects"
   
   
5. Return to My Local Carts > Open the Copy of the BookCart and make your edits

March is also Music in Our School Month. ProQuest has created an additional BookCart to provide articles and websites to support music education.

Follow the same procedures listed above but click the Folder "Professional Development and scroll down to "Music Resources for Elementary Teachers."