The Children's Art Foundation The Children's Art Foundation, or CHART, is a not-for-profit organization that aims to educate young people aged 4-18 about art and make it more accessible to them by taking original works of visual art into their places of study.  By helping children to engage with art and artists, CHART believes it can transcend existing boundaries and unleash the students' creative potential.  As a result, it hopes to increase the general level of their education and inspire them to consider a broader range of futures, and encourage them to appreciate their own self-worth and importance to society. As they draw and paint, children exercise their critical thinking skills and expand their physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.  Countless studies have shown a positive correlation between a child’s early exposure to art and their ability to participate effectively in society.  The National Standards for Art Education states: “The arts teach self-discipline, reinforce self-esteem, and foster the thinking skills and creativity so valued in the workplace.” Physically, art develops keen motor skills and refines hand-eye coordination. Socially and emotionally, it allows children to express their feelings; it teaches them to channel their frustration and anger in a socially acceptable way; it gives them the opportunity to generate praise; and it encourages them to assert their individuality. The National Foundation for Educational Research asserts that a background that includes art education has been shown to “enhance knowledge of social and cultural issues; the development of creativity and thinking skills; the enrichment of communication and expressive skills; and advances in personal and social development.”  Furthermore, these effects transfer to other contexts outside the art classroom in to other subjects and activities. Art’s main playing field is in the mind and in freethinking. Children today have little opportunity to focus on art in their daily timetable and by neglecting their creative needs, we are neglecting the future of our society.  Without initiatives such as ours, we risk entering into a world of uniformity and artistic suppression. CHART provides a ‘school’ where children can be free to experience art and develop their taste for it; however, there are no marks or exams.  We provide artists who take original art works in to schools and encourage pupils to ask questions and engage in debate.  In addition to providing the art, CHART supplies all the materials, to allow them to experiment with different mediums in a workshop, to make a copy of their favourite piece of art, or to use whatever else inspires them to create something that is unique to them. CHART does not charge for materials, transportation or the exhibition/speakers; visits to schools are not costly.  Teachers are not taken away from their lessons, as we provide the artists to hold the talks and workshops. Most importantly, it is a free initiative.  CHART aims to make art accessible to everyone in an easy, straightforward process that requires only the smallest amount of input from schools and removes the elitist image associated with the Fine Arts. Ultimately, CHART hopes to have a gallery in London that houses a collection of donated/loaned art as well as a gallery of art made by pupils over the course of our visits, from primary school to 6th form. The gallery will be open to those under 18 years of age and adults must be accompanied by a child!