4K Arts Integration Grants

About This Grant

Purpose

These grants help CERDEP preschool providers offer arts-integrated experiences for students and professional learning opportunities for teachers to use the arts to increase kindergarten readiness.

Projects may be considered to increase kindergarten readiness by:

• building connections between the arts and other subject areas in a meaningful
• providing artist-in-residence experiences for students that include professional learning for teachers
• supporting teachers in implementing projects based on professional learning in arts integration
• addressing gaps in arts access that have previously impeded learning in the classroom

Although there is not one singular definition for arts integration, the SCAC finds that the Kennedy’s Center’s comprehensive definition of Arts Integration is a worthy model. To read more how their definition has evolved, please visit their website and read “What is Arts Integration?”

Please Note

Grant guidelines are subject to change until applications open.

• Eligibility

  1. The applicant must be:

  • • In a public school or school district in South Carolina or an SC First Steps 4K Provider
    • An SC First Steps or S.C. Department of Education Childhood Early Reading and Development Education Program (CERDEP) 4K Provider. Non-CERDEP private and corporate preschools/providers are ineligible to apply.

  Please contact Arts Learning Director Kimberly Washburn Motte (803.734.8694 | kmotte@arts.sc.gov) before applying if:

  • you are unsure of your CERDEP status for eligibility; or
  • the applicant organization is not part of a school district, not a unit of government, or not a non-profit organization.

  Note: Applicants who are applying through a fiscal agent/receiver must submit a letter outlining the working relationship and responsibilities of both parties.

  2. In accordance with federal government policy, all organizations – including (but not limited to) private schools, public school districts, government entities, and nonprofit organizations – must provide a valid UEI number* to receive an SCAC grant award. *Learn about the new grant requirement: Unique Entity ID (UEI).
     Note: If an applicant organization is using a fiscal agent/receiver, separate UEI numbers must be provided for both the applicant organization and the fiscal agent/receiver.

  • • Individual public schools may use their school district’s Unique Entity ID and do not need to register separately.
    • The only other exceptions to providing separate UEI numbers are for organizations run by a local government or a school district.

• Restrictions

  • A 4K provider may not receive funding for the same purchase or project twice.
  • A 4K provider may receive no more than two (2) 4K Arts Integration grant awards per fiscal year.
  • A 4K provider may not receive more than $2,000 in 4K Arts Integration grant funds per fiscal year.
    • For example, if one teacher from Arts Drive Child Development Center receives $1,200, the most another teacher at Arts Drive Child Development Center can receive in that fiscal year is $800.
  • Multiple teachers from the same 4K provider may apply, jointly or separately. We encourage joint applications when possible to maximize the value of the application process for applicant providers. When multiple teachers from the same 4K provider apply jointly, one (1) teacher must be designated as the contact person for this grant.
    • Example 1: If a 4K teacher needs $300 for an arts integration professional development opportunity and a music teacher at the same 4K Provider needs $700 in supplies, they may submit one (1) application for $1,000.
    • Example 2: If two (2) 4K teachers are working together on an arts-integrated learning unit, they may jointly apply for a $2,000 grant to fund the interdisciplinary project.
  • If a teacher teaches at multiple 4K providers, they may not apply for a multi-preschool grant. Instead, the teacher should choose which 4K provider will apply for the grant. A teacher who teaches at multiple 4K providers may apply for separate grants for each provider.
    • For example, if you teach art at Main Street Preschool and Arts Drive Child Development Center, you may apply for a grant to fund an artist in residence at Main Street Preschool and a separate grant to fund an artist in residence at Arts Drive Child Development Center.
  • Arts organizations and units of higher education that offer preschool programming are ineligible to apply for this grant but are eligible to apply for our Summer Arts Education Projects and Term Arts Education Projects grants to fund preschool work.

• Use of Funds

  4K Arts Integration Grant funds may be used to pay for the following:

  • Consumable and non-consumable resources directly related to artist residencies or professional learning in arts strategies or arts integration.
    • Please note that all material purchases must be made within the project dates set in your grant application and confirmed in the grant contract. Grant funds are considered spent—and the “end date” of your project is when materials are received.
  • Arts-based professional learning opportunities and related costs.
  • Field trips or performances with classroom extensions and/or follow-up learning opportunities for teachers.
    • Example: The 4K students at Main Street Preschool take a field trip to see a musical theatre performance about colors. A teaching artist from the performance follows-up with a classroom residency in which students work to create paintings based on the ideas presented in the performance. The teaching artist debriefs with the teacher after the lesson to discuss how to regularly incorporate this type of activity into the classroom.
  • Artists in Residence – Please note:
    • The artist in residence must spend peer-to-peer training time with the teacher to ensure growth in the teacher’s skill level and ability to teach the skill in future years.
    • Grant recipients must use members of the S.C. Arts Directory for grant-funded activities, detailed as follows:

  If you are hiring artists or teaching artists

  If you are a preschool, school, or school district: SCAC grant recipients that are schools or school districts are required to use members of the S.C. Arts Directory for grant-funded group lectures, demonstrations, performances, classroom residencies, and short-term arts teaching experiences.

  If you are an organization: SCAC grant recipients that are organizations are strongly encouraged to use members of the S.C. Arts Directory for grant-funded group lectures, demonstrations, performances, classroom residencies, and short-term arts teaching experiences.

  Artists labeled as “Verified Teaching Artists” on the S.C. Arts Directory have been additionally vetted by SCAC through the submission of sample lesson plans, recorded teaching samples, and letters of recommendation; we encourage but do not require grant-funded teaching artist residencies to employ Verified Teaching Artists.

  • Learn more about the S.C. Arts Directory
  • Search for an artist

• Additional Requirements of this Grant

  Any activities carried out within this grant must align with state guidelines regarding COVID-19.

• Priority

  Priority may be given to CERDEP preschool providers located in SCAC FY24 Opportunity Initiative Counties:

  • Allendale
  • Bamberg
  • Calhoun
  • Cherokee
  • Clarendon
  • Dillon
  • Edgefield
  • Hampton
  • Jasper
  • Laurens
  • Lee
  • Marion
  • Marlboro
  • Saluda
  • Williamsburg

• Deadlines & Grant Period

  Deadlines

  At least five weeks before the project begins, for projects beginning on or after September 25, 2023.

  • Application period: August 21, 2023 – March 4, 2024
  • Applications must be submitted at least five weeks (unless otherwise noted by an * below) before grant-funded activities begin or purchases are made. However, earlier applications are encouraged. Applicants do not need to wait until five weeks before their project starts to apply.
  • Note: No applications will be accepted after Monday, March 4, 2024.

  Here are some time-specific deadlines:

  • September 4, 2023, for projects beginning October 9 or later.
    Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of October 2.
  • October 2, 2023, for projects beginning November 6 or later.
    Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of October 30.
  • October 30, 2023, for projects beginning December 11* or later.
    Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of December 4.
  • December 4, 2023, for projects beginning January 15, 2024* or later.
    Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of January 8, 2024.
  • January 08, 2024, for projects beginning February 12 or later.
    Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of February 5.
  • February 5, 2024, for projects beginning March 11 or later.
    Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of March 4.
  • March 4, 2024, for projects beginning April 15* or later.
    Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of April 8.

  Applications may be submitted until 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the deadline date. However, please be aware that staff members will not be available to assist you with questions or technical difficulties after SCAC closes at 5 p.m. that day.

  Awarded applicants can expect contracts at the time of notification.

  Grant Period

  September 25, 2023–May 15, 2024

  All grant purchases and activities must be complete by May 15. If you have a program (for example, a teaching residency) occurring after May 15, please reach out to Arts Learning Director Kimberly Washburn Motte (803.734.8694 | kmotte@arts.sc.gov) before applying.

• Funding & Match

  Funding

  Up to $2,000 per grant. A school may receive up to two (2) 4K AI grants for a total of $2,000 per fiscal year (see restrictions section of these guidelines for details)

  Federal funding note: This grant will be funded using federal dollars. The SCAC will notify the grantee of the type of federal dollars used. Because the grant will be funded using federal dollars, the grantee’s match must not consist of federal funding.

  Matching Requirements

  1:3 (grantee:SCAC)*

  • A 1:3 match means that for each dollar granted, the grantee must match with $0.33 of their own funds.
    • For example, with a $2,000 grant, the preschool would match with $667.)
  • The match for this category must be 100% cash; no in-kind expenses may be counted as part of the applicant’s match.
  • Funds may not be matched with another SCAC grant or with any federal funds.

  *Exception: No match is required for CERDEP preschool providers located in SCAC FY24 Opportunity Initiative Counties:

  • Allendale
  • Bamberg
  • Calhoun
  • Cherokee
  • Clarendon
  • Dillon
  • Edgefield
  • Hampton
  • Jasper
  • Laurens
  • Lee
  • Marion
  • Marlboro
  • Saluda
  • Williamsburg

• Grant Criteria

  Are you wondering what makes for a strong application?

  The SCAC recommends using the FY24 4K Arts Integration Grant Evaluation Rubric as a guide when writing your application. Grant panelists will score your application responses based on the criteria within this rubric.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted through our grants portal, which uses the Foundant platform.

New to Foundant? For frequently asked questions, registration instructions, and other helpful information, we highly recommend visiting the Grants Portal FAQ, before you begin working in the system.

• Your Grants Portal Account

  The applicant must have an active account in our Grants Portal.

  • If you have previously used Submittable to apply for other SCAC grants or programs, please note that the grants portal is a different system. Your Submittable credentials will not work; you will need a grants portal account to apply for this grant.
  • If you have used the grants portal as both an artist and as a contact for a school or organization, be sure you log on with the correct account to apply for this grant.

  Helpful Hint: The primary contact person for this grant should be the 4K teacher who will administer the grant activities. To ensure the correct person is listed as the primary contact for your application, that person should be the one to log on and click the “Apply” button to start the application. The primary contact person for this grant should be the person who will:

  1. edit and submit the grant application;
  2. manage this grant’s activities, and
  3. receive and respond to communications from the SCAC about this grant.

• Starting Your Application

  1. Follow the “Apply” link below. The Grants Portal will open in a new browser tab or window.
  2. Log on, then click the “Apply” link at the top of your applicant dashboard.
  3. Find “4K Arts Integration” in the list of available grant applications, and click the “Apply” button to the far right.

After You Apply

• Review Process

  Review Process

  The Grants Team will review submitted applications for completeness and compliance with guideline and application requirements. A review panel of early childhood arts integration professionals will evaluate the applications based on the published review criteria. An applicant’s panel comments are available to them upon request. Staff will then develop funding recommendations, based on these evaluations and the availability of funds. Final funding decisions are approved by the deputy director. Recommendations will be presented to the SCAC Board of Commissioners, which makes final award decisions. Award notification is expected in four to five weeks, as detailed in the “Deadlines & Grant Period” section of these guidelines.

• If You Receive a Grant Award

  If your application is funded, you (and your fiscal agent/receiver, if applicable) will enter into a contractual agreement with the South Carolina Arts Commission, and you must comply with all requirements stated in that contract. You will receive notification and instructions when your contract is available in the Grants Portal. You must submit your completed contract packet, including signatures and other documentation as instructed, by the date indicated in the system. You must also complete all other assigned follow ups by the due date.

  Please note: Any significant revisions to grant-funded activities must be approved in writing, in advance, by the SCAC. Significant revisions to grant-funded activities must be emailed to grants@arts.sc.gov to be processed for approval or denial.

  Additional details about managing an SCAC grant are available on our agency website.

  Grant Payments

  Payments are reimbursement-based. This means any expenses must be financed up front by the grantee and/or a cooperating entity.

  An accurate final report, listing only expenses allowable under the program guidelines for the certified time period, must be submitted in order to receive payment for the grant award.

  Final Report

  ALL GRANTEES are required to file a final report at the end of the grant period. The final report due date is stated in the grant contract. Failure to submit an accurate and complete final report by the due date will result in cancellation of the award and repayment of any funds received. SCAC will not fund applicants who have outstanding final reports.

I’m Here to Help!

• If you are seeking advisement, please contact Arts Learning Director Kimberly Washburn Motte (803.734.8694 | kmotte@arts.sc.gov) before submitting an application.
• If you have submitted an application, and/or you have a current grant, please contact the Grants Team (803.734.8695 | grants@arts.sc.gov).

Grants Coaching

We also highly recommend a visit to our Grants Coaching webpage, for

• category-specific information for grant applicants,
• topic sessions, and
• opportunities for one-on-one assistance.

Missed a group call or session? Look for the video link to access a recording of that presentation.