National Endowment for the Arts  
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ARTS EDUCATION

The National Endowment for the Arts is committed to providing leadership in arts education and to enhancing the quality of and access to arts education for our nation’s young people. Youth receive a full education when the arts are studied and practiced as a core academic subject.  Arts education plays a pivotal role in helping youth to develop skills necessary for the 21st century workforce--creativity, collaboration and communication, as well as helping the nation improve high school graduation rates, counter the achievement gap in urban and rural communities, and respond to innovations in technology that may transform how and what young people learn.

The Arts Endowment supports projects that provide opportunities for youth, educators, and community leaders to gain in-depth arts education knowledge and skills in the arts.  We also are interested in projects that have significant potential to be shared and/or replicated, or are likely to lead to innovation in arts learning, instruction, and assessment.

Funding under Arts Education is available for in-depth, standards-based arts education for youth (generally between ages 5 and 18) in schools or other community-based settings. Projects must provide participatory learning that engages students with accomplished artists and teachers; align with either national or state arts education standards; and include assessments of participant learning. Funding also is available to support professional development opportunities for teaching artists, teachers, school and school district leaders, and community leaders. All projects must include the following elements:

  • Experience: Participants will experience exemplary works of art—in live form where possible. Through the guidance of teachers, teaching artists, and cultural organizations, students and/or arts education providers will study works of art in order to understand the cultural and social context from which they come, and to appreciate the technical and/or aesthetic qualities of each work. Participants will gain increased knowledge and skills in the art form.

  • Create: Informed by their experience and engagement in an art form, participants will create or perform art. In the case of museums, the primary creative activities could build visual literacy through observation and/or critique as well as through curatorial tasks related to an exhibition.

  • Assess: Participant learning will be measured and assessed according to either national or state arts education standards.

We are committed to rigorous assessment of learning in the arts.  High quality assessment of knowledge and skills is critical to improving arts learning and instruction.  At the conclusion of the project period of support, Arts Education grantees will be required to describe the assessment methods used to assess learning, and they will be required to submit any tools used to assess learning with their Final Report.

Funding Opportunities in Arts Education

Grants for Arts Projects
CFDA No. 45.024

The National Endowment for the Arts' primary funding opportunities for organizations can be found here. An organization may submit only one application through the following FY 2014 Grants for Arts Projects category (see "Application Limits" for the few exceptions to this rule). For most organizations, this category represents the full range of funding options for the entire year.

Art Works
March 7 and August 8, 2013, Application Deadlines

To support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts. Within this category, all Arts Education projects will have Learning as their primary outcome. Innovative projects are strongly encouraged. Grants generally range from $10,000 to $100,000.

NOTE: Arts Education projects may be in any artistic discipline, but must be standards-based and align with either national or state arts education standards. Projects for short-term arts exposure, arts appreciation, or intergenerational activity should not be submitted under Arts Education; rather, they should be submitted under the appropriate artistic discipline. If you have questions about whether you should apply under Arts Education or some other discipline, read "Choosing the Right Discipline for Youth Projects."

 

Our Town
CFDA No. 45.024

Organizations may apply for creative placemaking projects that contribute to the livability of communities and place the arts at their core. An organization may request a grant amount from $25,000 to $200,000. (Deadline: January 14, 2013)

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National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards

Outstanding community arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of America's young people may apply for these awards. (Receipt deadline: February 4, 2013)

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Lifecycle of an Application
Guidelines available: Application guidelines are made available on the Arts Endowment's website and through Grants.gov
Application submitted: Applications that meet the deadline are assigned an application number. Applicant receives acknowledgment of application receipt. Applications are forwarded to Program staff
Staff review: Staff reviews applications for completeness and eligibility and may contact an applicant for clarification and additional information. Application materials are sent to panelists several weeks before the panel meeting. Work samples may be distributed in advance or may be held for review at the panel
Panel review: TPanels generally meet from one to five days, depending on application load. Each panel is made up of experts with knowledge and experience in the area under review. Each application is reviewed and rated in accordance with the published review criteria.
National Council-Chairman Review: The staff reconciles the panel recommendations with available funds and forwards them to the National Council on the Arts, where they are reviewed in open session. The Council makes recommendations on which applications to fund and which applications to reject. Fast-Track grants receive an expedited review. Following panel and staff review, recommendations are forwarded to the Chairman who makes the final decision on all grant awards.
Notification: Applicants not recommended for funding are notified. Applicants recommended may be contacted first for revisions to the project. Fast-Track Grant applicants will receive a preliminary letter of notification. Grantees later receive an official grant award notification with information about legal and reporting requirements
 
       
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