The Arts and Foreign Language Education Grant Program supports arts and foreign language education in schools, with an emphasis on ensuring that these areas become part of the school’s core curriculum.
Donor Name: Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA)
State: Illinois
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/05/2023
Size of the Grant: up to $40,000
Grant Duration: 1 year
Details:
Planning grant funds are for the purpose of developing specific plans for initiating, strengthening, or expanding instruction in the arts or in foreign language. The goal of each Planning Grant is to assist with measuring the effectiveness of the existing arts education or foreign language program, identifying areas for improvement, and establishing a realistic timeline and budget for improving arts education or foreign language instruction. As part of the planning process, grant applicants must identify the necessary components of an instructional program to be added or enhanced and the human, financial, and other resources that will be necessary in order to incorporate components into the affected schools’ curriculum and sustain them when State funding is no longer available. Should the successful applicants go on to apply for a future Implementation Grant, the details learned in the planning process will inform a future proposal.
The Arts and Foreign Language Education Grant (AFL) is a joint initiative through Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
Funding Information
- Annual grant awards will not exceed $40,000 depending on programmatic needs, size of district, and level of planning to take place. Total amount of funding available for planning grants in 2024 is anticipated to be $440,000.
- Grant Period: 1 year
AFL has provided funds to over one hundred school districts across the state and has resulted in the expansion and creation of:
- world language exploration courses
- pre-professional courses in the graphic arts, commercial art, illustration and advanced placement
- world drumming courses, multicultural music and art, and cross-curricular materials
- digital photography class
- new courses in Chinese and Arabic and continuing programs in Spanish, French and German
- new faculty positions
- new programs in dance and movement
- theater instruction and productions
- new district wide curricular and assessment standards
- guitar instruction and jazz ensembles
Additionally, schools have used funds to purchase:
- technological, curricular and resource materials
- professional seminars and conference registrations
- class supplies, musical instruments and computer software
- artist-in-residence services
Eligibility Criteria
School districts, public university laboratory schools approved by ISBE, charter schools, and area vocational centers are eligible to apply.
For more information, visit IACA.
