SchoolSMARTS is an advocacy group made up of parents and community members who seek increased opportunities for Melrose students to participate in rich arts programming both in the schools and in our city, and promote the value of arts in learning. Our goal is to identify resources and grants through arts agencies,museums,colleges and other organizations that will support high quality arts education. We actively encourage partnerships between the schools and the Melrose community and artists. Contact: schoolsmarts@hotmail.com .

In November, SchoolSMARTS is sponsoring a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for middle school students. We plan to expand Regarding Art, an art history course taught by volunteers at the Horace Mann and Lincoln schools, to other elementary schools. We are collaborating with Melrose Schools Fine Arts Director Joe Messina and the Melrose Arts and Cultural Association in an assessment of arts programming in the city and schools.