Grants
Need help paying for Arts for Learning programs?
Below is a list of grant opportunities available to Maryland schools to help subsidize the cost of assemblies, residencies, and embedded professional development programming.
Arts for Learning Grant Opportunities
K-12 Access for All (Baltimore City Public Schools)
Arts for Learning artists and programs are available to high-need Baltimore City Public Schools at up to 80-100% off of the cost through the Access for All Initiative.
Access for All grants offset the cost of bringing a guest artist to your school. The grant is applied as a subsidy, and the school is responsible for the remaining cost of the program. Schools may also choose to apply Arts Every Day and/or ESSER funds to cover their portion of the cost.
Please contribute to the program's cost if you can, but do not hesitate to apply regardless of your ability to contribute to the program's cost. We do not want anyone to be turned away for lack of funds. We have funding available to cover 100% of the program cost. However, these funds are limited, and we want to be sure we can provide as many opportunities as possible.
Applications are due Friday, May 24, 2024.
Schools can select any Arts for Learning program, including those delivered virtually. These may include:
- Assembly Performance
- Professional Development workshop for educators
- Artist in Residence (Residency) Program
- Arts for Learning Snacks
- Arts Explorations video series
Early Childhood Access for All (All Counties)
Early Childhood (ages 0-6)
Arts for Learning and the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts offer Baltimore City Judy Centers, Childcare Centers, and PreK and Kindergarten classrooms the opportunity to bring in a teaching artist for Early Childhood programming at 50 to 80% off of the cost. Schools may also choose to apply Arts Every Day and/or ESSER funds to cover their portion of the cost.
Educators can choose from embedded professional learning STEM or Literacy residencies, interactive workshops, assemblies, professional learning workshops, and more.
K-12 Rural Access for All (Rural Counties)
Schools, libraries, and community centers in 18 Maryland counties are eligible for this funding. Thanks to funding provided by BGE, GEICO, and the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Arts for Learning programs are available at 60% off of the cost. The subsidy can be applied to any program—in-person or virtual. Schools can select from the following program types:
- Assembly Performance
- Professional Development workshop for educators
- Arts for Learning Snacks
- Arts Explorations video series
Arts for Learning is dedicated to serving communities outside of the Baltimore-Washington Corridor. This funding resource has been reserved for these counties: Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, or Worcester.Â
Limited funds are also available for residency programs in Carroll, Frederick, and Harford counties.
Email in**@ar***************.org to inquire about available funding.
Please Note: We partner with several generous individuals, foundations, and corporations to make our programs accessible to all. While many of our donors have specific schools, school districts, or venues that they wish to sponsor, if you are in need of funding to bring one of our programs to your area, please do not hesitate to email us at in**@ar***************.org . We may be able to help.
Maryland State Arts Council Grant Opportunities
Arts in Education Grant Programs for All Grade Levels
MSAC provides schools with Arts in Education (AiE) grants to support arts programs such as assemblies and residencies. These grants subsidize the full cost of an Arts for Learning program with an MSAC-approved artist, including supplies and travel costs, up to $6,000.
Our staff and teaching artists work collaboratively with you to identify the type of program that best meets the specific needs of your school. Our artists have received extensive training to tie their art forms to a wide variety of academic curriculum to support your teaching and to help reach students of all learning styles.
County-Specific Grant Opportunities
Anne Arundel
Anne Arundel Arts Council Arts in Education Grants
These grants are used to fund artistically-driven educational programs. Public and private schools can apply for one residency and one auditorium grant per school year.
Baltimore County
Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools 21st Century Initiative Grants
These grants are based on the project's anticipated contribution to essential knowledge and skills students must have to be successful in life and employment in the 21st century. Projects should address instructional focused 21st century themes such as Arts & Culture, Environmental Literacy, Global Awareness, or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Calvert
Arts Council of Calvert County Arts in Education Grants
These grants are to support artistic presentations that further the cultural arts development of students in state-chartered public and private schools.
Carroll
Carroll County Arts Council Arts in Education Grants
The purpose of these grants is to support bringing Maryland artists and performers into the public schools for residencies, workshops, assembly performances, Master Classes, etc.
Cecil
Cecil County Arts Council Arts in Education Grants
These grants are designed to promote, strengthen, and enhance the arts and arts education in Cecil County's elementary and secondary schools and other community settings.
Charles
Charles County Arts Alliance Arts in Education Grants
These grants are designed to promote, strengthen, and enhance the arts and arts education in Charles County's elementary and secondary schools.
Frederick
Frederick Arts Council Arts in Education Grants
These grants are designed to help teachers enhance their arts curricula by drawing upon the talents of artists and arts organizations in our community. Schools can submit up to two grants each school year and must be matched one-to-one.
Garrett
Garrett County Arts Council Grants
Grants are awarded to local organizations and schools for the presentation of arts activities in the community.
Harford
Harford County Cultural Arts Board Arts in Education Grants
These grants assist schools in booking artists (performing, literary, and visual artists) throughout the state who would bring new and additional arts programming into the schools.
Howard
Howard County Arts Center Arts in Education Grants
These grants place professional artists in residence at private and public K-12 schools to help students foster creative exploration.
Kent
Kent County Arts Council Grants
Grants are awarded for individual projects or events.
Montgomery
Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County Arts Integration Residency Grants
These grants support individual teaching artists trained in curriculum-based arts integration techniques who collaborate with a classroom teacher to develop an arts-integrated program for students during the school day.
Trawick Foundation Grants
This grant funds projects that encourage, support, and expand creative activities in Montgomery County.
Prince George's
Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council Grants
Grants are awarded for a variety of arts education projects, including school-based projects, community-based projects, artist-in-residence projects, and professional development projects.
Queen Anne's
Queen Anne's County Arts Council Arts in Education Grants
With these grants, schools are eligible for initiatives which include: dance, music, performance, and literary programs.
St. Mary's
St. Mary's County Arts Council Grants
Grants are awarded annually to local organizations and schools for the presentation of arts activities in the community.
Talbot
Talbot County Arts Council Arts in Education Grants
These grants are for visiting performers and artist-in-residence programs in public and private elementary and secondary schools.
Talbot County Arts Council Mini-Grants
These grants are awarded to both nonprofit organizations and schools for special arts-related purposes and programs. They may be requested at any time.
Wicomico
Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council Arts Enhanced Education Grants
These grants are awarded to individual teachers or a "team" of one arts discipline teacher (music, theatre, or visual) and one core discipline teacher (math, science, reading, social studies, etc.). This option has been made available to encourage teachers to work together to develop new, creative project ideas using the arts as a tool to teach their curricula.
Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore Education Awards Program Grants
The Community Foundation's Education Awards Grant Program provides support for classroom-based programs in public and private schools (Pre-K through grade 12) on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland (specifically Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester County). For additional eligibility detail, please visit the MSDE nonpublic school website. Eligible private schools must be on the MSDE nonpublic schools list. The Foundation funds up to $5,000 for a project.
Local Management Board / Wicomico Partnership Funding
All funding opportunities for local nonprofits focused on afterschool programming are posted online as they become available. All Requests for Proposals are posted on the Wicomico County Government Bid Board. Afterschool grants are typically released during July of each year for funding beginning in September to coincide with the start of the school year (as funding is available).
Other Resources
TitleIArts.org
This site provides resources for school leaders who wish to embrace arts programming among their strategies for achieving Title I goals.
Assistance for Arts Education Development and Dissemination Grants Program
The U.S. Department Of Education awards grants for innovative, cohesive models that have demonstrated their effectiveness in integrating arts into the elementary and middle school curriculum; strengthening arts instruction in these grades; and improving academic performance, including skills in creating, performing, and responding to the arts.
Crayola Grant Program
This program provides grants for innovative, creative leadership team building within elementary schools.
National Education Association Foundation
Provides professional development arts grants for teachers and support personnel to improve student learning.
Professional Development for Arts Educators
These U.S. Department of Education grants support professional development programs for dance, music, theatre, and visual arts educators and other instructional staff of K-12 students in high-poverty schools. The purpose of this program is to: strengthen standards-based arts-in-education programs; ensure all students meet state academic content and achievement standards in the arts; and integrate arts instruction with other core academic-area content.
Title I Officers: Under NCLB, Title I, Part A funds can be used by local education agencies to improve the educational achievement of disadvantaged students through the arts.
Title II Officers: Portions of Title II funds can support partnerships that include nonprofit, cultural-arts organizations.
Your PTA: Many PTAs are willing to raise money or already have money allocated to support arts enrichment activities.
Local Foundations: Many local grant makers (i.e., The Baltimore Community Foundation) make grants to organizations that serve children and families through the arts.
Businesses: Corporations such as Target, Bank of America, Starbucks, and Wal-mart offer grants to schools. Visit their community relations/corporate responsibility page on their website or stop by a local branch/store to ask how to apply for a grant.