1. Washington, DC (Smithsonian) Conference
Working Definitions
"Arts-based Learning" and "Workforce Development"
1) Working toward a definition of arts-based learning.
First, what is meant by "art"? Usually art may refer to any one of three things:
 Process of using a creative skill
 Product of a creative skill
 Audience’s experience of a creative skill
Often definitions discuss how arts-based learning can be used more than what it is. Perhaps the
initial often-referenced definition was proposed by Lotte Darsø in her 2004 book, Artful
Creation: Learning -Tales of Arts-in-Business (Frederiksberg, Denmark: Samsfundlitteratur).
Darso (14) gave four options for using the arts in business, as:
 Decoration
 Entertainment
 Instruments (skill & leadership development)
 Transformation (values, creativity, innovation, branding, marketing)
Another approach is in a 2009 article for an Academy of Management journal. Steve Taylor &
Donna Ladkin (56-60) name four ways that arts-based methods help develop managers and
leaders.
 Skills Transfer
 Projective Technique (to "reveal inner thoughts and feelings that may not be accessible
through more conventional development modes")
 Illustration of Essence ("to apprehend the 'essence' of a concept, situation, or tacit
knowledge, . . . revealing depth and connections" different from more typical methods)
 Making (fostering a deep "experience of personal expression and connection")
In yet another view, according to Ted Buswick in an Americans for the Arts interview, the arts in
business are used for at least one of these four reasons:
 Inspire and/or provoke
 Introduce a difficult topic

2.  Teach a definable skill or set of skills
 Change thinking and behavior
Each of these definitions was created to relate to the business community. Are adaptations
needed for the STEM subjects? In the next two days, perhaps you can sort through the overlaps
in these definitions and determine for yourself which pieces of these definitions match how you
believe the arts should be used, whether in school or in informal learning.
2) Workforce Development in arts-based learning for STEM subjects
Which workforce? Is it those to be trained or those who are to do the training? A clear distinction
in terminology between the two should be made when "workforce development" is used. For the
former, "development" refers mostly to what the workforce should be taught, which may depend
heavily on the ages, experience, and needs of those being trained. If the latter, development
involves determination of who should do training in arts-based learning for STEM subjects,
where it should occur, and how the educators, trainers, and curators should be trained in arts-
based learning. Usually the idea of workforce development includes both of these workforces.
Sources
1. Darsø, Lotte, Artful Creation: Learning -Tales of Arts-in-Business (Frederiksberg,
Denmark: Samsfundlitteratur, 2004).
2. Private Sector Network of Americans for the Arts, "Arts-based Learning: An interview
with Ted Buswick,
http://www.americansforthearts.org/pdf/private_sector_affairs/Buswick%20Interview%2
0Revised.pdf, August 2010.
3. Taylor, Steve and Donna Ladkin, "Understanding arts-based methods in managerial
development," Academy of Management Learning & Education, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 55-69.
Chicago (IIT) Conference
With some 25 people in the group, the Chair, Randy Cohen, told a few pithy anecdotes to set the
scene for the working group. He emphasized the fact that in the workforce any investment in
promoting creativity cannot happen without evidence that there is a Return on Investment.
The group was then charged to answer three broad questions:
 What data do we need to advance this movement?
 What policies would we need?

3.  What research will we need?
Presentations
Ted Buswick, Executive-in-Residence for Leadership and the Arts in the Graduate School of
Management, Clark University, and Angel Ysaguirre, Director of Global Community Investing
and Global Citizenship Initiative at Boeing, gave brief presentations to initiate the discussion.
Ted Buswick made the point that the field of Arts-Based Learning (ABL) is broad,
encompassing more than STEM education, including applications in business and medicine. He
presented a number of examples that included the following.
 A Yale study (published in 2001) showed that students with visual arts training had
measurably increased observational and diagnostic skills over a control group. -
Columbia University Medical School requires every second-year student to take one of
12 arts/humanities courses.
 Columbia’s Program in Narrative Medicine is the leading one of its kind, focusing on
developing empathy between doctor and patient.
 Violinist Michael Spencer was teaching corporate brand managers how to listen and
developed this into a successful business: Sound Strategies. InterContinental Hotels is
just one example of a group that is now learning how to tailor music to their locations
around the world, which has led to an re-evaluation of their entire global strategy.
 Jazz saxophonist Michael Gold founded Jazz Impact where he uses the art of jazz
improvisation to teach business improvisation and collaboration.
 Suzanne R. Merritt, former Senior Creatologist at Polaroid Corporation, has developed
several programs for business including one, Aesthetics, that introduces eight patterns of
beauty that executives are then taught to apply to their business, “to generate and judge
new product and service ideas.”
 Tim Stockil uses Forum Theatre to help companies deal with their problems, winning two
UK national training awards in 2008. http://www.creativeintelligence.uk.com/index.htm
 Alastair Creamer started the successful in-house innovation program, Catalyst, at
Unilever in the UK. With marketing manager Oliver Lloyd, he left Unilever to start a
consultancy based on their own experiences and perspectives as artists.
As a brief bibliography in this area, Buswick cited:
 Daniel Pink, A Whole New Mind (2005)

4.  Frans Johansson, The Medici Effect (2005)
 Robert and Michele Root-Bernstein, Sparks of Genius (1999)
 Lottie Darso, Artful Creation: Learning-Tales of Arts-in-Business (2004)
 Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit (2003).
 Two special issues of the Journal of Business Strategy on arts-based learning for business
(Vol. 31, No. 4, 2010 and Vol. 26, No. 5, 2005).
Angel Ysaguirre then spoke to Boeing’s interest in attracting a creative workforce, and giving
the company a competitive edge, in the situation where there’s now a global workforce and other
countries outspend the US in R&D. Innovation is the key. He stated, "The most innovative
companies will win the bids in the future."
Mr. Ysaguirre told the story of how, when designing the “Dreamliner” 787 airplane, Boeing
decided to focus on how passengers want to feel on an airplane. As safety was a primary
concern, and as a confined space feels less safe, Boeing went for a fuselage that felt bigger than
it was and brought in artists to work with their engineers to design it. They succeeded and pre-
orders broke all records.
A breakthrough for Boeing was in beginning the project with the question, “what will customers
feel?” It had previously partnered with a symphony orchestra and Rolls Royce to improve
passenger experience of engine noise by conducting frequency and sound troubleshooting.
Working with the sound experts, the engineers came to better understand the impact of sound
and improved the sound characteristics of engine design.
Boeing understands it needs a pipeline to supply its workforce, so will often get involved with
schools. In Beijing, for example, Boeing spends some $500k per year retraining elementary
science educators in order to teach more creatively. IBM’s 2010 survey of 1,500 CEOs from 60
countries and 33 industries worldwide showed that “creativity” was selected as the most crucial
factor for future business success.
He stated that a challenge for companies wanting to increase creativity is to address their rigid
structures by reorganizing so there is less hierarchy.
Discussion
In the ensuing discussion, one participant thought the Boeing example applied only to engineers:
a thin slice of the workforce. How did this approach affect the lineworker?

5. Mr. Ysaguirre replied that Boeing was very aware of needing a creative workforce at every level.
The company saw positions in vocational technology, engineering, law, IT, building staff, etc.,
all requiring different levels of creativity and innovation. He did acknowledge that the folks on
the line may not need as much creativity as others, but it was an issue for Boeing.
To the question of how Boeing’s approach could “trickle down” to its suppliers, Mr. Ysaguirre
replied that Boeing was training its suppliers - in fact, this was becoming a new business
proposition as Boeing was becoming more expert in training creative thinkers than going into the
supply business.
Another participant offered the analogy of a hotel training its staff and suppliers to think beyond
their silos in order to support the hotel systemically.
To the question of how this community could leverage the expertise in companies like Boeing,
Mr. Ysaguirre replied that Boeing is in fact trying to do just that through effective partnering and
by funding arts-based research efforts that would have a direct impact on its own workforce
development.
Another participant mentioned the U.S. auto industry, which, when losing market share through
the popularity of OEM, didn’t have the ability to innovate in order to effectively compete and
died. Industry needs to reward businesses that do react creatively, instead of rewarding short-
term quarterly returns.
Another participant observed that while Boeing can initiate new procedures for the development
of new products, those in education must do their redesign "while in flight."
Distillation
The next section of the meeting was devoted to brainstorming about what should be done out of
this project to create an actionable list of recommendations for government and industry.
One participant, expressing delight that Mr. Ysaguirre was working with the arts at such a high
level, thought this was a great model for others to follow. Not only was it giving high visibility to
the arts and quality-of-life issues, but it was showed Boeing’s understanding of the positive
workforce development implications of using the arts in community investment.
Research and Business
1. Businesses need to put the money where the children are, whether it’s for arts-based or
science-based projects. One should always start with the young (Howard Hughes
apparently once focused his giving on Informal Science Education, before moving to
invest in higher education).

6. 2. Business has to want what we are aiming to promote: creativity and innovation. Although
some recognize the need, they are not necessarily investing in it.
3. We need much more solid data, and in particular from the findings of cognitive research,
in order to enable CEOs to visualize the issues and possible future scenarios, and to make
the case for funding arts-based research.
4. Need longer than 3-5 years for research grants - and need to find good, logical, long-term
research partners.
5. Communication: not only do scientists in general need better training in communication,
but we also need better communication and leverage between formal education, informal
education, community organizations, and business, so that we can work together more
effectively.
6. The NSF’s Industrial Innovation & Partnerships Division fosters partnerships between
businesses and academic departments, and its director, Cheryl Albus, is interested in
partnering more with NSF’s Education Directorate and to include partners that serve the
communities where the research is happening. For the NSF, outcomes need to be
educational - so research results should be translated into practical implications for
community stakeholders and into making the case for support tailored to particular
communities: the public, policy makers, private industry, etc. Several thought the NSF
needs to be better informed on what the research agenda should be.
7. Ted Buswick asked how can one best engage and leverage success in industry? Do we
focus on what (in terms of creativity and innovation) works best for a given company, or
ask for a 20-year commitment to further research? He found it frustrating that successful
arts-based learning operations have not been successfully replicated or scaled.
8. Research Needs: spatial intelligence research; equity related issues (if there’s no access to
art then there’s no opportunity to cultivate the skills to compete).
Education
1. While elements within the NSF are showing great interest in the possible effectiveness of
using the arts in education, there is still no/little funding for it.
2. There was more discussion about the big disconnect with public education and its focus
on standardized testing over creative thinking. Even with models and grants, how do you
convince the leadership at the school level to adopt a change, when their agenda doesn’t
support this?

7. 3. Some felt there was still little general acceptance of the value of life-long learning and of
the value of trying and failing.
4. Despite Boeing’s experience in China, the group felt that corporations should not be
directly driving change in schools - but should be part of the conversation about change.
Policy
What is our Public Policy Agenda? Where can we have the greatest impact? What are the
conditions that support change? How do we create those conditions?
Business models
1. In a discussion of business models, one participant thought we needed a matrix of
innovation-focused business models for both business and education (that went far
beyond the normative model for current schools).
2. Along with the models, we need research and proof-of-concept data that will be essential
in presenting any ideas to potential corporate partners.
3. Business models are changing rapidly to meet changing global needs. The ability to
cultivate and manage creativity is a key competitive advantage.
4. In discussing possible metrics, a participant said we would have to pitch using particular
innovation-based business models. Making the connections between the arts and the
sciences is one way to structure it.
5. Metrics: obviously any research report has to be couched in language and using metrics
that the reader can understand, relate to and find value. Until the reader buys into the
model, the research data will not be meaningful.
6. As most of those who will be working over the next 20 years are already in the
workforce, mid-career training to adapt and change with the changing economic
community is key. How can an arts-based approach carry their careers forward?
7. It was recommended that we create a set of business models for younger artists that might
help them see the range of possibilities (beyond running a gallery). What are the business
implications of their skill-sets; what are potentially good business connections?
San Diego (CalIT2) Conference

8. Chair: Ted Buswick, Director, Boston Consulting Group History; Executive-in-Residence for
Leadership and the Arts, Clark University
Presenting: Sarah Murr, Community Investor—Arts & Culture, The Boeing Company
Participants: Katie Carlstrom, Sandra Chong, Peter Economy, Lisa Ellsworth, Patricia Frischer,
Cyrice Griffith, John Highkin, Kristen Koeblin, Amanda Lincoln, Kirin Macapugay, Thomas
MacCalla, Josh Payne, Ellen Potter, Laurie Sanderson, Harvey Seifter, Susan Sirota, Loren
Thompson, Karen Vogt, Katharine Wardle, Ruth West
Introduction: Ted Buswick and Harvey Seifter
Ted Buswick opened this session by introducing himself and the presenter, Sarah Murr. Before
Sarah began her presentation, Harvey Seifter framed the working group discussion: “We need to
find ways to respond to business needs. We have a frame with a blank canvas—there are
powerful stories, but the data has to be there. We aren’t going to move forward unless
policymakers make decisions. We need to quantify and target investments. It will be enormously
important to the rest of the field to develop data, develop the case, and move forward.”
Presentation: Sarah Murr
Sarah Murr began her presentation with a question: “Why is Boeing investing in arts education?”
According to Sarah, in five years Boeing will be 100 years old. The company is the world’s
largest aerospace company and a leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense,
space, and security systems. Boeing has more than 163,000 employees and it operates in 70
countries outside the USA. The company’s workforce is educated: 77 percent of employees have
a college degree, with 26 percent of those advanced degrees. Boeing’s continued success
depends on its workforce of innovative thinkers who continue to delight and amaze their
customers with new products and services.
Boeing currently devotes approximately $28 million a year in educational outreach, focused
mostly on STEM education. Boeing is actively involved in changes tothe American education
system . and works closely with selected colleges and universities to enhance undergraduate
curricula, support continuing education of Boeing employees, recruit for internships and
employment, and collaborate on research that benefits the long-term needs of our businesses.
. Sarah believes that there’s an A (Arts) missing in Boeing’s focus on STEM, and she is
personally working to change this.
Sarah gave the example of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. When passengers board the aircraft,
the first thing they see is the interior. Boeing works with the airline customers to find out what
their customers want when they walk onto the plane, including such things as more space for
carry-ons, more light, and a feeling of more space. There is a design group within Boeing
focused on aircraft interiors. To make the interior of the 787 look larger, for example, they

9. suggested the installation of larger-than-usual windows. Installing larger windows, however,
requires engineering input to determine what is feasible and cost effective. This example is a
blending of art and science. The re-design of an overhead light which allows for a light bulb that
can be easily replaced similarly requires a blending of art and science.
Boeing employs very creative people who have the ability to look at what has happened in the
past, and to use this knowledge to infuse their own ideas for what improvements can be made
today.
Arts education and STEM develop the skills, competencies, and attributes Boeing seeks in the
workforce to be successful. There are 11 competencies needed in future Boeing workers, as
listed on job requisitions:
 Inquisitive
 Communication, verbal and written
 Creative
 Ability to work in a team
 Analytical
 Innovative
 Problem solver
 Self confident
 Initiative
 Strong work ethic
 Flexible/adaptive to change
These 11 competencies are not taught in engineering schools—they are taught through arts
education. And arts education is disappearing in schools.
Before current Boeing chairman Jim McNerney was brought on board, most of his predecessors
came from within Boeing’s engineering ranks. McNerney, however, was an outsider—from 3M,
and before that, General Electric—and he brought with him new perspectives.
Sarah also mentioned the need to pay attention to national and state legislation which impacts
education. Some current California legislative initiatives include:
 SB 789 (Senator Curren Price, chair of the Joint Committee on the Arts): Proposes the
creation of an Advisory Committee to develop an “index of Creative and Innovative
Education” and make related recommendations to the State Superintendent of Public
Instruction. These rankings would be in addition to API scoring—not a replacement.
 SB 611, SB 612, and SB 547 (introduced by Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, and
passed by the Senate Education Committee) are designed to change the state’s public
education curriculum to make it more relevant to the emerging workplace, including

10. biotechnology, clean energy, health care, digital art, information technology, etc. SB 611
changes what gets taught, SB 612 changes how it gets taught, and SB 547 changes what
gets measured.
 SB 402 curriculum frameworks legislation would require each framework to describe
how content can be delivered to intentionally build creativity, innovation, critical
thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and communication into and across each
content area.
A recent report by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH) clearly shows
the effect of arts education on student academic achievement and creativity—reaffirming that an
arts education provides a vital benefit to the private sector.
The state of California was one of two states selected this year by the NEA to participate in the
Education Leadership Institute in Chicago. The California team will focus on visual and
performing arts education as a critical component in the future of California’s economy and
viable workforce.
Sarah suggested that working group members visit the California Alliance for Arts Education
website (http://www.artsed411.org). The mission of the California Alliance is to ensure all
California students have access to arts education in their schools.
Boeing is making a point to look for engineering applicants who have been involved in the arts
within the past few years, because they possess the “compatibility skills” that are needed within
Boeing.
Discussion
Question: Does Boeing document new hires with art experience?
Sarah: Not that I’m aware of.
Thomas: What if we had a regional art/science cluster?
Response: You could form your own clusters. There are currently 15 clusters for STEM with
$3.3 billion in SBA and Department of Defense funding.
Sandra: How publicize the fact that Boeing is looking for arts background in new employees?
Response: Provide exact parameters so school administrators will focus on what Boeing is
looking for.
Cyrice: Boeing can do this—who else?
Sarah: Boeing has people on many different industry councils and groups and can get out the
word. It would have to be in published form for internal/external release. I can ask about this.

11. Ted: Is there something you would like to see as a policy statement within Boeing?
Sarah: We have developed this statement as a part of STEM: “The future Boeing workforce
must include people who have: a passion for technology and innovation; integrity and high
ethical standards; an ability to think critically, adapt to change, and collaborate with others in a
complex environment; top talent with hands-on experience.” Those skills are enabled by arts
education.
Ted: NSF is sponsoring this conference, which gives it major credibility. Because so little data is
currently available, the NSF wants Harvey Seifter to develop a research program and put it on
the fast track. Please provide input to Harvey on ideas for “low-hanging” research fruit and any
research already underway.
Q: How are Boeing’s educational outreach funds distributed?
Sarah: The money comes from Boeing’s bottom line. The company’s board decides how much
to allocate each year. Every major Boeing site gets outreach funds based on the headcount of
employees in the region. The company sets guidelines, and regions do their own community
needs assessments. Boeing gets requests for funds from the community all the time. 100 percent
of my educational outreach budget (a bit less than $750,000) goes to arts education as delivered
by teachers in classrooms. To be considered for funding, the requestors must support the
countywide initiatives in either Los Angeles or Orange Counties.
Comment: There has been research done on “interdisciplinary learning”—this is not labeled
“arts learning.” The body of knowledge is already there.
Ted: There is a lot of information out there, but it does not necessarily provide evidence that arts
education leads to better outcomes.
Ellen: The research group is doing research. We need to better figure out how to best
communicate the information to decision makers. They don’t want to see all the data—they just
want the one-line bullet points.
Ted: The priority should be to get information out in parallel with research.
Kirin: There are ten times more nonprofits today than there were three years ago, but the amount
of money available for them to share has not changed. A lot of funds are going into STEM
programs because they measure. We need a paradigm shift in the arts world.
Cyrice: Have business—the Harvey Whites and Boeings—dictate the message. The message is
“We’re finding that new hires who have arts education are making more desirable employees.”
Ellen: We can get the data. The federal government grants are all research based. There is a $3.5
million grant, for example, to determine if mobile science labs are effective teaching tools.

12. Sarah: Many business organizations—workforce investment boards, chambers of commerce,
etc.—are beginning to talk about creativity and innovation. Go to the California Alliance for the
Arts website for talking points. I support local advocacy networks.
Ted: It sounds like the movement is finally in the works—no need to focus here. Need to change
STEM to STEAM. Creating already has a running start. Where should our focus be at the top
level?
Katharine: Athena is an organization that supports women in technology. When asked to include
the arts, they declined. We have built silos. We have to manage the conversation.
Harvey: Eight convenings in DC in the past eight months—NSF, NEA, etc. They’re saying,
“Interesting—what do we do with this?”
Sarah: In California, there’s a working group to develop a creativity index.
Harvey: We could spend 10 years considering these questions. Industry is telling us what skills
they need. How partner with industry to get the word out?
Cyrice: Technology is innovation. Arts education is creativity and innovation.
Harvey: Business is not investing in arts education as a whole, and neither is the pubic sector.
Maybe we aren’t supplying the key pieces of evidence that business needs to make the case.
Comment: Consider foreign employees too. How much work is being outsourced to other
countries? What skills are the schools in those countries teaching?
Ted: Businesses know the skills they need, but they aren’t making the connection to the arts.
Ellen: Can we go into organizations?
Harvey: The Conference Board and Americans for the Arts is working on this.
Patricia: Maybe a low-hanging fruit is companies in trouble that we could approach with an arts-
based “rescue plan.”
Ted: It’s difficult for a troubled business to focus on anything other than their immediate
financial distress.
Katharine: Explorer Elementary Charter School in San Diego is an example of a school that is in
very high demand—in part because of its approach to education, which includes the arts. There
were 1,200 applicants in the lottery for only about 30 openings.
Comment: We should write a report about what Boeing has done and get it into the mass media
and to other companies. Sandra will write report.

13. Ellen: We should form a committee/working group to educate the public on the need for arts
education and influence opinion.
Ruth: We should communicate in a broad sense the value of arts education.
Katharine: Let’s continue this discussion in San Diego at the Balboa Park Institute.