September 16, 2025
The Honorable Jason Lewis, Senate Chair
The Honorable Kenneth Gordon, House Chair
Joint Committee on Education
Submitted via email: jointcommittee.education@malegislature.gov and Dennis.Burke@masenate.gov
Re: H. 561 An Act advancing Massachusetts from STEM to STEAM
Dear Chair Lewis and Chair Gordon:
Mass Cultural Council is pleased to register its strong support for H. 561, An Act advancing Massachusetts from STEM to STEAM and urges the Committee to advance this legislation.
As the state arts agency, Mass Cultural Council is charged with bolstering the Commonwealth’s cultural sector, and we believe this proposal, a simple exercise in rebranding, is imperative to our efforts to ensure the arts are recognized and integrated into existing frameworks for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
There are currently three references to “science, technology, engineering, and math or STEM” in the Massachusetts General Laws:
- Section 218 of chapter 6 of the MGLs – STEM Advisory Council
- Section 6H of chapter 40J of the MGLs – Big Data Innovation and Workforce Fund
- Section 35QQ of chapter 10 of the MGLs – Economic Empowerment Trust Fund
H. 561 simply updates each existing reference to incorporate the arts, thereby changing “science, technology, engineering and math” to “science, technology, engineering, art and math” and/or “STEM” to “STEAM”.
There is no cost to the legislation. We view it as a technical correction, updating references from STEM to STEAM in the MGLs, to signify that the Commonwealth values arts and culture as a key economic sector and that creativity is an essential and valued skill that employers seek out and value in their workforce.
Mass Cultural Council believes this step is key to a larger and more important policy conversation. We believe the arts, humanities, and interpretative sciences – the cultural sector – are key to harnessing creativity to problem solve and demonstrate skills that often bring economic success.
As Mass Cultural Council continues to refine and focus its efforts on the advancement of the cultural sector, we hope to increase other sectors’ understanding and appreciation of creative individuals and cultural organizations. This will help to combat the troubling reality of our stakeholders being underutilized as partners in solving challenges. We know embracing and incorporating arts and creativity as other sectors develop policy, platforms, programs and initiatives is key to harnessing the power of culture. Advancing Massachusetts from STEM to STEAM by enacting H561 will help further this conversation.
We believe this legislation proves that the Commonwealth embraces the arts as a valued core field necessary to train our students in so that they can succeed and participate meaningfully in tomorrow’s workforce.
Consider this:
- Students with high arts participation and low socioeconomic status have a 4% dropout rate—five times lower than their low socioeconomic status peers.1
- Students who take four years of arts and music classes score an average of over 150 points higher on the SAT than students who take only one-half year or less.2
- Low-income students who are highly engaged in the arts are twice as likely to graduate college as their peers with no arts education.3
- A recent study showed that arts education experiences reduce the proportion of students in school receiving disciplinary infractions by 3.6%.4
- The arts are recognized as a core academic subject under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and, as of 2020, all 50 states plus the District of Columbia have adopted standards for learning in the arts.5
Including the arts in educational curriculum is a proven strategy to boost overall academic achievement, and students who regularly engage in creative learning experiences outperform their peers in math and science. Further, participating in the arts encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation – skills that are essential for success in STEM. As we continue to explore workforce and economic development initiatives for the cultural sector, it is worth noting that creativity has passed analytical thinking as the most in demand skill employers are looking for right now. Advancing from STEM to STEAM will capitalize on this movement and enhance opportunities for our next generation.
Mass Cultural Council has a seat on the Commonwealth’s STEM Advisory Council and is an active participant. In June we were invited to present before the Council on STEAM matters, and since that time a new STEAM subcommittee of the Council has been proposed, which Mass Cultural Council will chair.
The latest federal economic data (from 2023) shows that the Massachusetts cultural sector generated $29.7 billion – 4% of the state’s GDP – and hosted more than 130,000 jobs statewide. This legislation plants a flag in the sand and recognizes the power of culture and the various health, economic, creativity, and wellness benefits that the arts bring to everyone in Massachusetts.
Adding “A” to STEM doesn’t mean every existing STEM program must immediately expand to include the arts. But it allows the programs to consider that expansion, and even more importantly, it will ensure the arts are included in current and future STEM related policy and programmatic discussions. Mass Cultural Council believes in the power of culture, and we know that art and creativity, when infused with science, technology, engineering, and math, will produce students – our future workforce – who will have the skills to increase Massachusetts competitive edge in all economic sectors.
We are grateful to Representative Mindy Domb for partnering with us and serving as our lead sponsor, as well as to our co-sponsors: Representatives Arena-DeRosa, Blais, Higgins, Hong, Kerans, LeBoeuf, Sena, Turco, Vaughn and Howard and Senators Brady, Comerford, and Eldridge for their support. Further, we are also grateful to Chair Gordon for meeting with Mass Cultural Council to discuss this bill in April, and for his enthusiasm and the support he expressed during that conversation.
In closing, Mass Cultural Council strongly supports H. 561, and urges the Committee to report it favorably.
Please do not hesitate to contact Senior Director of Public Affairs Bethann Steiner if you have any questions and thank you for your time and consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Bobbitt
Executive Director
cc: Rep. Mindy Domb
1 National Endowment for the Arts’ The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth: Findings from Four Longitudinal Studies, p. 14.
2 Collegeboard’s 2016 College-Bound Seniors Total Group Profile Report p. 9.
3 National Endowment for the Arts’ The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth: Findings from Four Longitudinal Studies, p. 11.
4 Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research’s Brief – Investigating Causal Effects of Arts Education Experiences.pdf, p. 1.
5 Arts Education Partnership’s ArtScan at a Glance (2018)
