In my opinion, one of the places that can shape a students moral character, awareness of team work, and improve social skills and "out-of-the-box" thinking is in ARTS (Performing, Visual etc) classes and after school programs. Times are changing, to be sure, but many of these skills are not being taught at home OR in the classroom. So many core areas are forced to focus on test scores, leaving ARTS classes and after school programs left as the only places were students are taught to THINK for themselves and as a team. They develop socially, emotionally and physically as actors who are taught to have empathy and concern/interest in the lives of others. They also learn public speaking skills and build confidence by completing something they haven't before and something that, in the beginning, they may have felt was daunting. All of that mixed in with fun costumes, bright lights, original scenery and sometimes dance- makes for a character building once in a lifetime opportunity.