Many young people have a keen interest in art, which can bring surprising benefits. For example, the National Endowment for the Arts reports that students with high artistic participation and low socio-economic status have a dropout rate of 4 percent.

That is five times less than their counterparts with low socio-economic status. Additionally, a report from the Rice Children’s Institute for Urban Research found that arts education experiences reduced the percentage of students who received disciplinary violations by 3.6 percent.

Parents of students interested in art can try different approaches to encourage that interest.

One way: Supporting school programs for arts education. Funding for art programs is constantly at risk. Parents can support laws that allocate more federal funding to the arts while urging local lawmakers to allocate more money to arts education.

Another option: make art a part of life at home. Participating on the side of children in singing, dancing, drawing, making music or other artistic interests integrates art into private life and shows children how much fun art can be.

A third way: look for schools with a strong artistic focus. Children who show a particularly strong interest in the arts can benefit from enrolling in a school specializing in the performing arts. Such schools can be open to children ages five and up and extend through to high school. Parents should research each school’s curriculum before deciding whether a particular school is suitable for their children.

Arts education can have a profound impact on a young person’s life. There are many ways for parents to nurture and encourage interest in the arts.