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SC Arts Commission Arts in Education Program

The South Carolina Arts Commission is committed to facilitating comprehensive arts education programs that will enhance student learning in schools across South Carolina. Funding offered under the Arts Education Program supports the aims set forth by the SC Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Standards. These standards, adopted by the SC Board of Education, identify arts education as a vital part of the education reform taking place throughout South Carolina.

 

Recognizing that the Arts Commission serves a large and varied constituency, the AIE program has been designed to address the needs of as much of this diverse population as possible. While striving to advance comprehensive arts education reform in South Carolina at the legislative level, the Commission will continue to help underserved communities and schools establish effective arts education programs.

Funding for this program is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Program Goals

• Contribute to well-planned comprehensive arts education programs in schools and communities statewide.
• Further the development of the arts as basic to education.
• Provide opportunities for the professional development of educators related to the arts.
• Encourage appreciation of and participation in the arts as an integral part of everyday life.
• Promote understanding of diverse cultural heritage as a means of cross-cultural communication.

Funding Categories

This guide describes the grant categories of the Arts Commission's AIE program for the 2006-2007 school years. These categories provide graduated steps intended to move applicants toward more comprehensive, integrated arts education programs that support and extend efforts to improve general education. Refer to program guidelines for specific details of each program.

QuickStart Residencies
QuickStart funds provide support for schools wishing to initiate AIE programs, and are intended to encourage the development of ongoing artist residencies. Funds are limited and are awarded on a first-come first-served basis. QuickStart grants are intended for schools that are not currently being served through an SCAC Arts in Education Residency Plus or ABC Advancement grant. Deadline is at least 6 weeks prior to the scheduled residency. Funding is up to $750 per residency with a 1:1 match.

Residency Plus Individual Site
The Residency Plus Individual Site category provides individual schools with easy access to unique learning experiences for students and provides professional development for teachers and artists through curriculum-based artist residencies and/or artist performances. Deadline is November 15 for residencies planned for the upcoming fiscal year. Funding is up to $750 per residency with a 1:1 match.

Residency Plus Multi-Site
The Residency Plus Multi-Site category supports school districts and local arts partnerships that provide multiple schools with unique learning experiences for students and provide professional development for teachers and artists through curriculum-based artist residencies and/or artist performances. The grant application covers two years. Grantees receive funding for the first year and after filing and receiving approval of a final report for the first year, are assured similar funding for the second year, as long as SCAC’s funding remains stable. Funding is up to $750 per residency with a 2:1 match.

Comprehensive Planning
Comprehensive Planning grants help sites engage in planning to accomplish the following:

• develop an Arts Partnership Steering Committee that includes arts and other educators; administrators; political leaders; advocates; representatives from arts organizations, art institutions and higher education; parents; artists and other members of the community.
• develop a 5-Year Strategic Arts Plan based on the SC Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Standards to make standards-based arts instruction an integral part of the basic curriculum for every student.
• develop strategies to implement, fund, stabilize, and promote the Strategic Arts Plan and program.

Funding is up to $1,500 for a single school, up to $2,000 for a Gifted and Talented Consortia, and up to $3,000 for a school district. The match is 1:1 and 50% of the applicant’s match must be cash.

Arts in Basic Curriculum
Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) Advancement grants may support ongoing comprehensive planning, strategic projects and implementation of standards-based arts education initiatives, including artist residencies and residency-plus activities. The grant application covers two years. Grantees receive funding for the first year and after filing and receiving approval of a Final Report for the first year, are assured similar funding for the second year, as long as SCAC’s funding remains stable. Funding is up to $10,000 per year per single school, and up to $20,000 per year for a school district. The match is 2:1 (applicant:SCAC) and 50% of the applicant's match must be cash.

District Arts Coordinator Initiative
Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) District Arts Coordinator Initiative grants will support the creation of new full or half-time arts curriculum coordinator positions at the district level. The creation of such positions is seen as a key first step toward districts’ development as ABC sites. The grant application covers three years. Grantees may receive up to half of the new salary for the first year, up to one third of the salary for the second year, and up to one quarter of the new salary for the third year.

Deadlines

• QuickStart — 6 weeks prior to the scheduled residency
• Residency Plus Individual Site — November 15
• Residency Plus Multi-Site — November 15
• Comprehensive Planning — 6 weeks before planning meeting
• ABC Advancement — January 15
• District Arts Coordinator Initiative — TBA

Eligibility

AIE grants are available for schools, school districts, and Gifted and Talented Consortia. In addition, charitable organizations and units of government that meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the General Information section of this guide may apply in partnership with K-12 schools.

Projects that have already been completed cannot be funded.

See the individual Program Guidelines section for specific eligibility and restriction information for each grant category.

Artist Residencies
The in-school artist residency is a primary component of funded Arts in Education grants. A residency is a quality interaction between an identified group of students, teachers, and a resident artist. The artist is scheduled for 22 hours of service for one residency week for a minimum fee set by the SCAC. One week serves from 3-5 lab classes, and the remaining hours can be used for "Plus" activities such as joint residency planning by teachers and artists, presentations to other classes, to the entire school, or to a community group; a teacher workshop, etc. The 22 hours are organized in a way that is amenable to both the artist and the sponsor. Classroom teachers must be present during residency classes and should participate in residency activities, including the completion of mandatory SCAC Residency Planning and Assessment documents.

Performances by artists may be separate activities funded through an AIE grant, or they may take place in conjunction with school residencies. Refer to individual Program Guidelines for details.

Arts in Education Roster of Approved Artists

The SCAC Arts in Education Roster of Approved Artists is a listing of artists in all genres who, based on the quality of their artistic work, have been approved through an independent panel process. They are approved for both residencies and performances. Schools and other applicants in South Carolina which are funded through the Commission’s Arts in Education Program grant categories must employ artists from the Roster of Approved Artists.

The complete, searchable Roster of Approved Artists is now available online.

Each year, the Arts Commission sponsors an Arts in Education Booking Conference at which potential sponsors have the opportunity to meet artists from the Roster of Approved Artists. This event is held in Columbia, and information is mailed to schools, arts councils, and previous AIE grantees. For more information, contact your county coordinator.

Artist Fees

The minimum fee for artist residencies in schools is set as follows by SCAC for 22 hours of service per week:

• $750 per week per artist/group

Artists may negotiate for higher fees.