(Competitive category)
Registration deadline: March 3
Application deadline: July 1

Funding in this category supports the implementation of a specific arts project with an identified school partner. In general, a partnership should have received funding through ESP Project-based Planning before it is submitted for consideration in this category. Eligible projects will serve one class to several grades in a school, and each unit of study will involve at least ten contact sessions between the artist and each student served. Double periods constitute one contact session. Application to this category requires that planning has taken place and that the goals for the project, as well as the identity of the artists, teachers, and other stakeholders that will be involved in the project, have already been identified.

A maximum of $15,000 is available in this category, and grants must be matched dollar for dollar with cash. The school's portion of the match should be no less than 30% of the amount requested from NYSCA. Applicants who receive funding in this category may re-apply in the category in subsequent years for single or multi-year support of the same partnership, or they may request ESP School-wide Planning support.

Application Instructions

The on-line application form includes the following questions, and a project budget. Complete the arts in education supplemental form as part of this request. Required and suggested support materials are listed below.

Application Narrative Questions

1. Program Description
Briefly describe the proposed project. Include the number of artist contact sessions per unit of study for each class served.

2. School and Community Served
Briefly describe your partner school, including the community it serves and the demographics of the student population. Indicate the total number of teachers and students at the school, and the number of classes, teachers, and students at each grade level that will be directly served by the project.

3. Arts Instruction
Indicate the number of certified arts teachers in each artistic discipline that are on staff at the school, and how they serve the student population. Which of these teachers will be involved in this project and how? Describe how this project will enhance or complement sequential arts instruction and other arts programs (including those provided by other arts partners) at the school.

4. Past Relationship
Describe your organization's past relationship with the school and briefly describe how this year's project will be improved as a result of last year's evaluation efforts.

5. Challenges
What school-based issues or challenges will this project help to address?

6. Goals
Describe the shared goals for the program and the specific outcomes you expect to achieve. These goals and outcomes should directly relate to your stated challenges and the evaluation/assessment plan in Question 11.

7. Steering Committee & Implementation Team
Provide the name and title of each member of the Steering Committee and the Implementation Team. If the school has an established arts committee, how does its membership overlap with or complement the Steering Committee?

8. Professional Development
How will professional development be incorporated into this project? List the question(s) you will seek to answer through professional development.

9. Work Plan/Timeline
Provide a work plan in the form of a timeline for this project. If necessary, provide information about activities that have preceded or will follow this plan in order to provide context for the proposed activities.

10. Parental and Community Involvement
Describe how you will build support for this project, and the arts in general, with parents and community members. How will they be involved in the project?

11. Evaluation and Assessment
Describe the ways in which you will evaluate the effectiveness of your project and assess changes in teaching and student learning. Provide information on the overall methodology and any tools that will be utilized.

12. Finances
Describe your plans for meeting the expenses of the project. Include the sources and the dollar amount of the school match.

Support Materials

Support materials must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the program by the application deadline. If you want support materials returned, provide a self-addressed stamped envelope.

1. A written letter of agreement from the school partner that demonstrates the school's support of the project (monetarily and otherwise) and outlines roles and responsibilities for each partner involved. The principal and the project coordinators should sign this letter, and it should appear on the school's letterhead (required)

2. Samples of lesson plans, assessment tools, and student work (required)

3. Resumés of key project personnel (required)

4. A copy of relevent sections of the school's Comprehensive Educational Plan (optional)