Arts Education Grant

The 2026 Arts Education Grant, administered by the Community Arts Partnership (CAP), is a funding opportunity dedicated to supporting artist residencies in K–12 public schools, after-school programs, and student groups associated with community organizations in Tompkins County, New York. Funded through the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) as part of the Statewide Community Regrant Program, this grant is made possible by the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. CAP serves as the local administrator of NYSCA’s decentralized grants for the county and aims to promote cultural enrichment and accessibility through arts programming responsive to community needs. The core objective of the Arts Education Grant is to enrich students' learning experiences by integrating the arts into traditional academic and developmental contexts. Eligible projects must involve the delivery of hands-on, participatory arts instruction where students are guided to explore, imagine, and create using various artistic disciplines. These may include visual arts, performing arts (such as music, theater, and dance), literary forms, and art film/video. Ideal proposals connect the arts to non-arts subjects or address social-emotional learning challenges. For example, artists may use playwriting to explore history or teach fiber arts to enhance math instruction. Regardless of the theme, the artistic component must remain at the forefront of all proposed activities. Projects must include at least three learning sessions with a consistent group of students, ideally twelve or more, and must occur between January 1, 2026, and January 30, 2027. For in-school programs, higher consideration is given to collaborations between non-arts classroom teachers and teaching artists not employed by the school. Participating students cannot be selected or removed from regular instruction arbitrarily. After-school or community organization programs are subject to the same session and group size requirements but are not bound by the in-school selection constraints. Projects must demonstrate an evaluative component to assess student learning outcomes, and all applications require a commitment letter from a school principal or program director, which may be submitted up to one week after the deadline. The maximum award is $5,000, and applicants may include individual artists or eligible organizations located in Tompkins County. Individual applicants must be at least 18 years of age and not enrolled in a full-time degree program in 2026. Organizations must primarily serve Tompkins County residents. Teaching artists may reside outside the county if applying through an eligible organization. Excluded from applying are any organizations that have already submitted direct NYSCA applications for 2026 funding. Additional ineligible applicants include parochial or private schools, home-school groups, and college-level programs. Funds may be used for artist fees, project supplies, space rental, limited mileage, and administrative expenses where applicable. However, the grant does not cover activities lacking a primary artistic component, salaries for regular school hours, or stand-alone experiences such as performances without accompanying workshops. Funding prioritizes projects that address student challenges, reach underrepresented groups, or align meaningfully with existing curricula. Applications are due by Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 9:00 PM. Submissions are accepted through the Common Grant Application portal. First-time applicants are strongly encouraged to watch the mandatory instructional video and review the accompanying documentation. A downloadable Excel budget form and PDF guidelines are also required components. Panelists comprising local artists, educators, and community leaders will review applications using set evaluation criteria and convene in March to finalize decisions. Applicants are notified in mid-March, and awarded funds will be disbursed upon completion of required contracts. Robin Schwartz, CAP’s Program & Grant Director, is available for applicant support, draft reviews, and clarifications via email at [email protected].

Projects aligning with school curriculum and addressing student challenges receive priority. Collaboration with non-arts teachers is strongly encouraged.