Arts In Education

Arts in Education

Goals and Strategies

The goal of the Arts in Education program is to increase arts education and to improve pre-K through grade 12 student learning through the arts. Funding will be directed toward programs that seek to enhance students’ educational outcomes rather than to simply increase participation in, or appreciation for, the arts.

Approach

The Arts in Education program will consider funding programs that:

Encourage the adoption and/or growth of arts integration within a public school or school district. We will prioritize programs that integrate the arts as a tool within greater, diverse curriculum content areas over arts enrichment or direct arts instruction programs.
Advocate systemic change within schools, districts, or at the state level to encourage arts in education, and
Utilize the arts as a tool to reduce the educational achievement gap.

Why Take This Approach?

There is clear evidence to suggest that arts-integrated curricula and/or arts-rich environments are beneficial to student learning. Although we value the arts as a stand-alone experience, programs are most successful when:

They have the support of an entire district and in-school leadership
Teacher professional development is included in the program
Partnerships with high-quality arts organizations are created and nourished
Arts lessons are aligned with other student learning goals, and
Student progress is effectively monitored

Guidelines

With the above lessons in mind, we have established the following guiding principles.

K-12 public schools (or pre-K programs that receive public funding) must already have traction in arts programs (i.e. some arts education has already been established in the school, policies are in place to support arts in education, principals want a more robust arts program, and schools have support from parent groups (PTAs) to strengthen their arts programs).
Programs must focus on positively impacting students’ learning.
Programs must focus on students “doing” art, as opposed to observing art. Programs should enhance comprehensive, sequential delivery of arts instruction and can include all arts: performing, music, visual, theater, literary (poetry & writing), folk, media, and emerging art fields.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate their program has been designed and is managed with an understanding of cultural competencies appropriate to their student demographic.

Priority Will Be Given To:

Programs that include professional development opportunities for classroom teachers and teaching artists who are focused on arts education.
Programs that encourage development of additional partnerships and achieve goals with others such as community organizations, artists, parents, government entities, foundations, and school organizations where possible.
Programs which are sustainable, long-term, and potentially replicable. We hope to invest in programs that can contribute to the field as a whole.

The Arts in Education Program Will Not Fund:

Individuals or artists’ work. However, programs can include artist-in-residence programs in pre-K–12 public schools, providing that the residency is part of an larger arts integration strategy focused on student learning;
One-time events (e.g., a field trip to the symphony or museum);
Art performances without ongoing, hands-on opportunities for children and youth to participate.

2018 Arts in Education Grants

Arts Corps

Arts Corps (Seattle, WA) $30,000
For general operating support. Arts Corps' programs address the race and income-based opportunity gap in access to arts education. Through participation in Arts Corps' arts integration, out-of-school arts, and teen leadership programs, youth experience the transformative power of creativity and gain a deepened belief in their own capacity to learn, take risks, persist, and achieve.

Arts for the Schools

Arts for the Schools (Truckee, CA) $30,000
To support the Visual Arts Program in the Truckee Tahoe Unified School District. Through this program, Arts for the Schools brings weekly visits from teaching artists to nine schools in science, social studies, and math, reaching 43 classrooms. The grant will also help support professional development for the teaching artists and school staff.

Arts Impact

Arts Impact (Seattle, WA) $45,000
For general operating support. Arts Impact is a two-year professional development program that empowers preschool through 8th grade teachers to incorporate the arts into their students’ basic education (math, reading, and writing). The program emphasizes hands-on learning and one-on-one artist/teacher mentorships to address the critical needs of teachers, students, and schools.

Chicago Arts Partnerships In Education

Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) (Chicago, IL) $15,000
To support CAPE's Arts Integration residencies in Chicago public schools. CAPE teaching artists and classroom teachers collaborate to integrate music, visual arts, dance, digital media, and drama into their academic lessons in order to improve academic and social-emotional outcomes such as creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration skills.

Creative Action

Creative Action (Austin, TX) $15,000
To support the Spark Schools program, a partnership with the Austin Independent School District, currently working in Lee Lewis Campbell Elementary. Spark Schools is a collaborative, customizable program that offers arts-based strategies through long-term, multi-year partnerships with schools to achieve comprehensive campus transformation.

Creative Advantage

Creative Advantage (Seattle, WA) $35,000
Support to bring Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed techniques to secondary school Language Arts and Social Studies teachers to integrate theatre in the new Ethnic Studies curriculum in the Seattle Public Schools (SPS). The grant will fund professional development workshops, curriculum development, and mentor teachers for 45-50 classrooms.

Exploring the Arts

Exploring the Arts (ETA) (New York, NY) $30,000
To support the second year of ETA's 4-Year Plan, which offers professional learning sessions, curriculum planning, artist residencies, and cultural field trips through a partnership with four Manhattan schools. Exploring the Arts' mission is to transform the lives of young people through arts education.

KENNEDY CENTER - CHANGING EDUCATION THROUGH THE ARTS

Kennedy Center Changing Education Through the Arts (CETA) (Washington D.C.) $30,000
To support CETA's work in seven D.C.-area schools, professional learning opportunities for teachers, an annual Arts Integration conference, and ongoing assessment and evaluation for consistent school-wide program development. CETA is dedicated to improving student learning through arts integrated instruction.

The Right Brain Initiative

The Right Brain Initiative (Portland, OR) $35,000
To support the next phase of "push-in" professional development services, modeling, and coaching for classroom teachers in 70 Portland, Oregon area K-8 schools. The Initiative offers multi-district and school-based workshops, professional learning communities and in-classroom coaching as well as program evaluation to improve the quality of arts-integrated learning.

Turnaround Arts

Turnaround Arts (Washington, D.C.) $40,000
To support the 2018 Summer Leadership Retreat, a keystone national event that kicks off the next year's work with 79 of the nation's lowest performing schools. Turnaround Arts transforms Priority- and Focus-designated elementary and middle schools through the strategic use of the arts.

WOLF TRAP INSTITUTE FOR EARLY LEARNING Through THE ARTS

Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts (Vienna, VA) $20,000
To support Creativity Connects: Arts in Early Learning symposiums and one-week teaching artist residencies in two new cities (Denver and Los Angeles). Wolf Trap is a national leader in early childhood arts integration.