Founded in 1937, the National Guild for Community Arts Education is the sole national service organization for community arts education providers. Our dynamic member network of arts education organizations includes community schools of the arts, arts and cultural centers, preparatory programs, and arts education divisions of performing arts companies, museums, parks and recreation departments, and others.

We believe involvement in the arts is essential to individual fulfillment and community life. We envision a nation where all Americans understand and appreciate the value of the arts in their lives and in the lives of their communities.

We support and advance access to lifelong learning opportunities in the arts.

The benefits of community arts education accrue over time and demand long-term partnerships, professional development for staff and teaching artists, and greater financial resources. Operating at the grassroots level, Guild members exemplify a long tradition of dedicated service to their communities. But as a group, they have not been heralded for their contributions. Their limited resources are focused on providing high-quality arts education programs. Few additional resources exist for them to thoroughly and systematically assess their efforts and collectively communicate their impact to funders, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

Our broad objectives are:

• To unlock additional resources through public and private sources to support operations, technical assistance, planning, leadership development and innovation for Guild member organizations

• To demonstrate the collective impact of community arts education on individuals and society. Assessment is critical to securing government, foundation, and community support
   
• To expand the impact and reach of community arts education providers through collaborations within the arts sector and through cross-sector collaborations with areas such as education, youth development, community development, and healthcare