Most of us can remember participating in the arts during our school years, whether we were making a pinch pot, performing in a play or dance recital, or singing in the choir. Recent research by James Catterall found that we were not just learning dance, music, theater, and visual arts. He discovered that students who were taught the arts in school performed better academically, participated more actively in after-school activities, and were more likely to go to college. In other words, arts education doesn't just teach skills to future artists. It teaches children the creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking skills needed to succeed in the twenty-first century.