About Us
Arts Connect Houston is a collective impact organization committed to ensuring all students have access to arts education as part of a complete education. We know that the arts connect to students, the arts connect communities, and the arts connect us to our future.
Our collaborative is guided by substantial research which demonstrates that students who receive an education rich in the arts do better in school, gain key social emotional competencies, and go on to thrive as innovate thinkers in college and beyond.
What is 'collective impact'?
According to the Collective Impact Forum, collective action "brings people together, in a structured way, to achieve social change." Collective action 1) starts with a common agenda, 2) establishes shared metrics, 3) fosters mutually reinforcing activities,
4) encourages continuous communication, and 5) has a strong backbone. Learn more about the collective impact model here.
OUR VISION
Arts Connect's vision is to realize the tremendous potential of every student by ensuring the arts as essential to a complete education, recognizing that when students prosper, our community thrives.
OUR MISSION
Arts Connect unites the Greater Houston community to ensure access to high-quality arts education in creative writing, dance, music, theater and the visual arts for every student, beginning with the Houston ISD.
We accomplish our mission through:
Collecting Actionable Data

Understanding which students are receiving an arts education and which students are not is the key to reaching all students. This important data is the first step to creating system-wide change. With it, our partners can improve their decision making and deploy resources to close arts education gaps.