As the art teacher at Briarcliff Elementary, Dale works to keep everyone's mind flowing - not just students but the staff and parents, too. That has translated into wide community support. Now in its third year supporting the United Arts campaign, Briarcliff raised close to $1,400, making them No.1 in Wake County.

Dale said that although children know instinctively that the arts are important, ongoing exposure to the arts also opens their minds in other academic subjects.

Q: Education changes all the time; why do you believe arts education is critical?

A: There is so much emphasis on testing in schools today, and art is an area where students can come in and express themselves. They don't have to focus on assessment. Art, by its nature, has a lot more freedom and opportunity to explore. There is no cookie cutter answer - everyone has a voice to express. If each student draws a giraffe, I hope to see 30 different giraffes.

Q: There is a lot of talk about 21st-century skills; where do you see the arts fitting in?

A: Critical thinking is what the arts are all about. Researchers have found that when you expose a child to the arts, it enhances their math and science scores, too. The arts can only help academic subjects get stronger.

Q: For the United Arts campaign, how did you involve the teachers?

A: Each morning, a teacher would speak on the morning announcements about how the arts have affected his or her life.

Our AG (Academically Gifted) teacher talked about how she remembers putting on a pair of ballet shoes when she was 7 years old and how it changed her life. Even now, she still dances. It made me tear up.

One teacher put on tap shoes and tapped on a desk in the office. The PE teacher played his saxophone, and the students didn't even know he played an instrument.

Two of our faculty members are from Trinidad, and their father was the Arts Cultural Minister for Trinidad. They told about meeting the Queen of England and hearing the London Philharmonic.

It's so fun to hear how the arts have changed peoples' lives.

Q: What did the students do to take part in the campaign?

A: We had a few students who went around to houses in their neighborhoods and played their recorders and collected money for the campaign. One girl raised $50 going around selling cookies. It was amazing.

Q: You have taught in the United States but also in Switzerland for 11 years. How do you incorporate your cultural experiences into your teaching?

A: One of the 21st-century skills is a more global perspective on education, and I love to use art from a variety of cultures in my classroom.

Anything that I can connect to my own experiences abroad, I do. I told my students about an annual trip my school in Switzerland would take to Venice. There was a man there who, coincidentally, was from the mountains of North Carolina. He became a master craftsman who made gondolas.

I share lessons in architecture, craftsmanship, even greetings from around the world. These things help students open their eyes to different cultures.