Gift to help BYU promote the arts

"Some kids don't learn well if you give them a picture and words," Leonard said. "Some kids need to get a more physical sense of an idea before they understand the concept."

Studies have shown that students retain knowledge better if teachers use art to teach traditional classroom subjects like history and math, said Stephen Jones, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications at BYU.

"If you can take a difficult and divisive subject like the Civil War and re-enact it through dance, music, movement and feelings about racism in American history, that's going to be a powerful history lesson," he said. "Students aren't going to forget that the day after the test."

In addition to placing BYU arts students in elementary schools, the BYU ARTS Partnership also organizes workshops to help teachers learn to more effectively incorporate art into their curriculums.

Teachers from all over Utah got hands-on experience this week making art, dancing and learning to use the computer to make media arts projects at the program's annual Arts Express Summer Conference. At more extensive workshops throughout the year, sponsored by the BYU ARTS Partnership, arts integration professionals give elementary school teachers detailed ideas for adding color to their lessons.

"Most of the elementary kids these teachers help won't be artists for a life profession, but the skills and tools they gain through artistic expression will stay with them," Jones said. "Those skills will benefit them in their families and their workplaces."

The Sorenson Legacy Foundation was established by the James LeVoy Sorenson family to promote charitable, religious, education, literary and scientific endeavors.

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