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AGENCY TESTIMONY
Grant programs and funding for arts education
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Paul Thompson details the grant programs and funding initiatives supporting arts education in NYC public schools, including partnership grants and City Council support.
- In 2023, $4,700,000 was awarded to 289 schools citywide for arts partnerships
- Grants include the Multilingual Learners Students with Disabilities grant and the Early Learners grant
- The grant process was improved with rigorous logic models and clearer protocols
- City Council provided $4,000,000 for Support for Arts Instruction grants, benefiting 239 schools and over 53,000 students
Paul Thompson
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Additionally, we've continued to offer partnership grants to help schools bring in trusted arts partners.
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In 02/2025, we awarded $4,700,000 to 289 schools citywide.
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This includes the multilingual learners students with disabilities grant up to $15,000 per school which expands inclusive in school arts instruction for multilingual learners and students with disabilities and the early learners grant up to $10,000 which supports arts engagement in three k kindergarten and strengthens family and community connections through the arts.
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The grant programs this year benefited from a thorough inventory of reflection.
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Key staff members created rigorous logic models for both programs identifying the specific outcomes each grant should help schools' recipients achieve.
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We then reworked the grant's process and protocols including the application materials, scoring rubrics, and grant timelines to be aligned with the logic models and even more rooted in schools' real world needs.
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No longer do schools and arts partners have to guess as to why they may or may not have been awarded a grant.
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The rigor of our program and processes are now clear.
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We must also express our deep, deep gratitude to the city council for its unwavering commitment to arts education.
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Now in its third year of extraordinary support.
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This year, the council has generously increased its support by providing $4,000,000 to the support for arts instruction grants, reinforcing its dedication to ensuring equitable access to arts for all students.
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In partnership with arts and education roundtable, the arts office worked to organize the distribution of this critical funding which has expanded arts learning opportunities to an additional 239 schools, enriching educational experiences for over 53,000 students across every city council district.
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These students have had the invaluable opportunity to engage in meaningful hands on collaboration with city with the city's esteemed cultural partners.
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Experiences that not only nurture their artistic talents, but also foster creative confidence and appreciation for the arts.