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

Funding in this category supports planning for a specific partnership project with an identified school partner. Eligible partnerships will plan a project that will serve one or more classes in a school, and will involve at least 10 artist contact sessions. Application to this category requires that pre-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 planning and implementation processes, have already been identified. Small pilot projects that inform the planning process are encouraged.

A maximum of $8,000 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.

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. Project Description
Describe the project that you are planning. Include the number of artist contact sessions per unit of study for the project you are planning and for your pilot activities.

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 you plan to serve during planning and implementation.

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 planning 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
If applicable, describe your organization's past relationship with the school.

5. Challenges
What school-based issues or challenges will this plan address?

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

7. Professional Development
How will professional development be part of your planning process?

8. Work Plan/Timeline
Provide a work plan in the form of a timeline that clearly outlines specific activities to be undertaken during the planning period. If necessary, provide information about activities that have preceded or will follow this plan in order to provide context for the proposed activities.

9. 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 planning process?

10. Evaluation and Assessment
Describe the ways in which you will evaluate the effectiveness of your planning process and any pilot activities that you conduct. Provide information on the overall methodology and any tools that will be utilized.

11. Finances
Describe your plans for meeting the expenses of this 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 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 that demonstrate the quality of the organization's work in arts in education (required)

3. Resumés of key project personnel (required)

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