Jeff Hawthorne, director of community affairs for the Regional Arts & Culture Council in Portland, OR, passed along a link to an excellent video featuring Grammy Award-winning jazz artist Esperanza Spalding.

In the video, posted by Portland Center Stage, Spalding stresses the need for all forms of the arts in the lives of children as they help kids become better citizens in their community and in the world at-large.

Esperanza Spalding and CAN from Portland Center Stage on Vimeo.

How have the arts made you a better citizen? Tell us in the comments.