Research Effort Studies How Arts Affect Learning: Dana Arts and Cognition Consortium Founded; Dartmouth College Coordinates $1,850,000 Grant

[26 July 2004 - Dana Foundation] The Board of Directors of the Dana Foundation announced today a $1,850,000 grant over three years to Dartmouth College as part of the newly created Dana Arts and Cognition Consortium, to study the affect of the arts on learning. Michael Gazzaniga, the David T. McLaughlin Distinguished University Professor, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, as well as a member of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, will serve as director of the Consortium and has brought together six institutions and nine principal investigators to shape the research. "This is an innovative line of research," said Gazzaniga. "It is the first extensive scientific attempt to provide a comprehensive picture of the role of arts education in changing the brain. Up till now there have always been good correlations between children who take part in the arts and their academic performance. Now we hope to see if the relationship is causal. If it is, there will be a strong case for reintroducing the performing arts back into our schools. We shall see where these new studies take us." More