Registration deadline: February 22, 2011
Application deadline: April 1, 2011

This category is designed to offer an opportunity for study aimed toward professional careers in the arts and/or instruction in the traditional art of an ethnic community for members of that community. The goal of this category is to foster professional development in a variety of arts disciplines and techniques, including those with a particular interest in preserving the traditions of specific cultures.

Support is offered in three distinct courses of study of professionally-directed instruction and training in any art discipline. These are, in order of priority: Professional Development, Traditional Arts Study, and Pre-Professional Development.

Funding in Pre-Professional and Professional Development is limited to those organizations whose priority is serving the African/Caribbean, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino/Hispanic, and Native American/Indian populations, as well as organizations serving the disabled community whose members seek career development opportunities.

In addition, non-degree granting community-based organizations with a history of recruiting and attracting participants served by this Program may apply for scholarships for professional training.

Applicant organizations must state which course of study they are providing. Classes must be ongoing and taught by accomplished artists in community-based venues. Applicant organizations must provide guidance through all levels of artistic development. In all cases, organizations are required to provide documentation of the results of their programs.

The following are ineligible for support:

Single-instructor programs.

Programs offered in cooperation with schools, school districts, or BOCES, and offered during school hours, or which take place immediately after school hours in school facilities.

Programs that are essentially recreational, rehabilitative, or therapeutic.

One-time workshops or programs of very short duration.

Summer camp activities that are not an integral part of year-round instruction and training programs.

Professional Development

This area of professional arts training encourages career development and is designed to prepare participants for direct entry into the field. Support is available for intensive concentration programs in a special area of study or scholarships for a multi-level, advanced curriculum.

Applications must demonstrate an extended curriculum in a particular arts discipline that includes intermediate and advanced levels of instruction. Evidence of success in placement of students in career settings or otherwise advancing their goals is required.

Traditional Arts

Programs that transmit and perpetuate an art form that is part of a community's particular ethnic heritage are offered support in this area of study. These programs reflect the importance of sustaining the cultural life of a people and ensuring historical memory.

Pre-Professional Development

This area of support recognizes the vitality of the arts experiences in many communities that may have limited access to formal arts opportunities. It supports professional instruction in the arts to prepare the participants for more advanced study, with the long-range goal of career entry.

Application Instructions

Application Narrative Questions

Artistic/Programmatic

1. Program Overview
Describe the nature of instruction in terms of artistic discipline and technique(s) and the level of competence expected upon completion of the course. Indicate whether your request is for Professional Development, Traditional Arts or Pre-Professional Development. What are the immediate and long-range goals of this program? If the course of study is Traditional Arts, specify which tradition is being taught and the ethnic composition of the intended participants, if different from the community being served. Describe how this program relates to your organization's mission.

2. Career Placement (for Professional Development)
Describe the placement assistance you provide for career entry for your students upon completion of their studies, and give an example of a recent success.

3. Student Profile
Provide total enrollment levels, number, and age range of students for the current and proposed years. Include the ethnic composition of the students.

4. Faculty Profile
Include a brief representative list of instructors, their credentials, and tenure with the program.

5. Tuition and Fees
Describe the tuition fee structure for the current and proposed years. Detail any planned changes.

6. Scholarships
Describe scholarship or tuition assistance program(s) and selection policies. Include the number of scholarships for students of color and other students for the current and the proposed years. State the amount of full and partial scholarships for an average course of study.

7. Facilities
Provide a brief description of your facilities.

8. Changes/Developments
If not a first time request, describe any significant changes or developments since the last Council review. Highlight any recent achievements or programmatic challenges.

Managerial/Fiscal

9. Staff Profile
List staff responsible for implementation of the program.

10. Governance
Describe your board's committee structure, diversity, meeting schedule, and approach to staff and fiscal oversight. How do you ensure that your board is reflective of your community?

11. Finances
Describe plans for meeting current and future expenses of the program. Also, describe how scholarships fit within your general program priorities in terms of funding development for that activity. Highlight revenue that is confirmed and/or secured. Please utilize the Budget Notes section of the Project Budget to indicate sources of contributed income and to itemize principal expense items, including personnel, marketing and remaining operating expenses.

Service to the Public

12. Marketing
Describe briefly marketing, outreach and audience development strategies, including use of the Internet and social media, and list a recent achievement.

13. Community Context
What other organizations provide similar or complementary arts services to the community and how do you work in partnership with them?

Support Materials

15. Support Materials
Please list all of the support materials and/or work samples you are submitting. These materials are critical to your application's assessment.

Support Material

Support material must be postmarked, hand-delivered or made available online by the deadline. Please direct them to your appropriate contact at: NYSCA, 175 Varick Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10014 or rbaron@nysca.org or bbrown@nysca.org.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Refer to the Instructions for Work Samples and Support Materials prior to submission.

NYSCA encourages the submission of Web-based Work Samples and Support Material whenever possible.

1. Résumés of instructors and other key personnel, if new.

2. 2 copies of class schedules or curriculum brochures.

3. Representative list of former students who have entered professional careers.

4. If applicable, a list of scholarship students for the current year, noting whether whether full or partial scholarship Also indicate the number of years in which subsidy was received and which scholarships are projected to continue in FY12.

5. Video examples of a representative class in session, provided on a Windows compatible CD, DVD, or reference to a website. Complete an eScript for Work Samples to accompany your video examples. Your video sample should be cued to the examples you would like the panel to see and hear. The total length of the video samples may not exceed five (5) minutes. See Instructions for Work Samples & Support Materials for tips on providing support materials on CDs or DVDs.