For every student, whether attending school virtually or in person, access to an arts curriculum is imperative. It is even more important now after the pandemic has kept students apart for so many months. Arts help us all connect and feel compassion. Lawmakers should prioritize funding for arts education.

Art is essential to adolescent development. The arts engage with the brain’s hippocampus, which builds an emotional awareness and fosters empathy, especially at a young age. Research has also shown a connection between arts education and increased academic achievement.

Yet, while the arts provide tools to live a happy, balanced life, arts education is often among the first programs cut from the school budget. As the pandemic recedes, students need access to the arts to heal from months of isolation and to readjust to life conducted face to face.

The Biden administration’s 2022 fiscal year budget proposes doubling Title I funding to $36.5 billion, the largest increase in history. This is an opportunity to address years of underinvestment in high-poverty schools and to significantly reshape public education holistically. Research demonstrates that arts education supports Title I goals, including improving student achievement and school environment. Similarly, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised budget made historic commitments to education, with billions of dollars in funding for California schools.

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While arts programs support academic and school climate goals, they are often the first to be cut from the budget.