School Arts Support Grants

About This Grant

Purpose

School Arts Support grants further schools’ efforts to fill learning loss gaps in the arts and support innovation.

The SAS grant can help schools acquire supplies, materials, professional development, and tools/expertise to support innovation in the classroom and/or for the use of arts integration initiatives in remediating core subject areas.

Please Note

Grant guidelines are subject to change.

How is this grant different from Arts Teacher Support grants?

Formerly the Arts Teacher Support grant, this grant category is now also open to non-arts teachers who are interested in exploring arts integration in their classrooms. Additionally, the SAS grant can support school-wide initiatives/projects that promote arts integration, innovation, and address learning loss in the arts.

The strongest applications will clearly state how the materials or professional development funded by the grant will address learning loss in the arts, support innovation in the classroom, and/or will utilize arts integration as an approach to teaching. Successful grant applications will outline how the proposal will:

• Encourage students to engage in a creative process which connects an art form and other subject area while meeting evolving objectives in both; or
• Address learning loss gaps in the arts because of the COVID-19 pandemic; or
• Support art initiatives within the school that fosters collaborative efforts between arts classrooms and other subject areas

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 at www.kennedy-center.org.

• Eligibility

  1. The applicant must be a public, private, or charter school in South Carolina.
     • Private and charter schools must
       1. be currently registered with the S.C. Secretary of State’s Office. (Note: Applicants who are exempt from this registration must upload their registration exemption approval.)
       2. reflect S.C. as the primary address on all current official organizational documents
  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 a grantee 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.
  3. An arts teacher for the applicant school must serve as the contact person for this grant. (Arts areas include: creative writing, dance, design, music, media arts, theatre, and visual art.)
     • If a school wishes to apply and does not have an arts teacher, contact K-12 Coordinator Amanda Noyes (803.734.8675 | anoyes@arts.sc.gov) before applying.

• Restrictions

  ABC Schools

  Arts in Basic Curriculum schools are not eligible to apply.

  Multiple Projects or Schools

  • A school may receive no more than two SAS grant awards per fiscal year.
  • A school may not receive more than $5,000 in SAS funds per fiscal year, maximum of $2,500 per grant.
  • A non-arts teacher may apply if using the funds for arts integration, however an arts teacher within the school or an arts professional from outside of the school must serve as a partnering expert in the art form that will be utilized.
  • Multiple teachers from the same school may apply, jointly or separately. We encourage joint applications when possible to maximize the value of the application process for applicant schools. When multiple teachers from the same school apply jointly, one arts teacher must be designated as the contact person for this grant.
    • Example 1: If a theatre teacher needs $300 for a professional development opportunity and a music teacher at the same school needs $700 in supplies, they may submit one application for $1,000.
    • Example 2: If a dance and a science teacher are working together on an integrated learning unit, they may jointly apply for a $2,500 grant to fund the arts integrated project.
  • If a teacher teaches at multiple schools, they may not apply for a multi-school grant. Instead, the teacher should choose which school will apply for the grant. A teacher who teaches at multiple schools may apply for separate grants for each school.

• Use of Funds

  The SCAC recognizes that in the wake of the pandemic there has been learning loss in the arts classrooms. The intent of the School Arts Support grant is to assist schools as they address this learning loss. SAS grants are also intended to assist schools’ efforts at innovation in arts education and foster arts integration initiatives. SCAC invites schools to use grant funds to acquire the resources and expertise needed to work toward their goals of innovation and arts integration.

  SAS grants  funds may be used to pay for, but are not limited to:

  • Consumable and non-consumable resources
    • Please note that all material purchases must be made within the project dates you 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.
  • Professional development opportunities and related costs including:
    • Membership to state or national arts education associations
    • Conference, travel, and hotel fees for state or national conferences (travel and hotel must follow the S.C. state travel guidelines and rates)
    • Artists in residence – Please note:
      1. The artist in residence must spend peer-to-peer training time with the arts teacher to ensure growth in the teacher’s skill level and ability to teach the skill in future years.)
      2. 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 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 Certified Teaching Artists on the 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 Certified Teaching Artists. Additionally, Arts Access SC Teaching Artists have trained with Arts Access SC to provide children, youth, and adults with disabilities quality arts experiences. NOTE: If working in a school environment, always check with the individual school or district about policies related to hiring artists, arts organizations, and 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:

  • Schools on this S.C. Department of Education list of schools with low-income student populations above 70%
  • Schools in SCAC FY23 Opportunity Initiative Counties:
    
    • Allendale
    • Calhoun
    • Cherokee
    • Clarendon
    • Dillon
    • Edgefield
    • Hampton
    • Laurens
    • Lee
    • Marion
    • Marlboro
    • Newberry
    • Saluda

• Deadlines & Grant Period

  Deadlines

  Applications for the School Arts Support grant are received on a rolling basis. Application reviews take place during the first full week of each month (second full week of January 2023).

  Applications must be submitted at least five weeks 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; you may submit an application as soon as you are ready.

  Application deadlines are:

  • September 5, 2022, for projects beginning October 10 or later.
    Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of October 3.
  • October 3, 2022, for projects beginning November 7 or later.
    Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of October 31.
  • October 31, 2022, for projects beginning December 12 or later.
    Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of December 5.
  • December 6, 2022, for projects beginning January 17, 2023 or later.
    Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of January 9, 2023.
  • January 9, 2023, for projects beginning February 13 or later.
    Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of February 6.
  • February 6, 2023, for projects beginning March 13 or later.
    Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of March 6.
  • March 6, 2023, for projects beginning April 17 or later.
    Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of April 10.

  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 5, 2022–May 31, 2023

  All grant purchases and activities must be complete by May 31. If you have a program (for example, a teaching residency) occurring after May 31, please reach out to K-12 Coordinator Amanda Noyes (803.734.8675 | anoyes@arts.sc.gov), before applying.

• Funding & Match

  Funding

  Up to $2,500 per grant, a school may receive up to two SAS grants for a total of $5,000 per fiscal year (see Restrictions section of these guidelines for details)

  Federal funding note: This grant might be funded using federal dollars. The SCAC will notify the grantee if federal dollars are used. In the event federal dollars are used, the grantee’s match must not consist of federal funding.

  Matching Requirements

  1:2 (grantee:SCAC)

  • A 1:2 match means that for each SCAC dollar granted, the grantee must match with $0.50 of their own funds.
    • For example, if the total project cost is $1,800, the applicant may request $1,200 and must provide the remaining $600 from other sources.
  • 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 schools on this S.C. Department of Education list of schools with low-income student populations above 70%.

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.

PLEASE NOTE: You are urged to consider the Review Criteria (detailed in the “Review Process” section of these guidelines, under “After You Apply”) as you prepare your application materials. These criteria will be used to evaluate your application and determine the funding of your proposal.

• 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 arts 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 online grants management system 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 “Arts Teacher Support” in the list of available grant applications, and click the “Apply” button to the far right.

Not quite ready to apply? You can preview the application before you create an account or start an application.

After You Apply

• Review Process and Criteria

  Review Process

  The Grants Team will review submitted applications for completeness and compliance with guideline and application requirements. SCAC program staff and management will evaluate the applications based on the published Review Criteria and Priority areas. 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. Award notification is expected in four to five weeks, as detailed in the “Deadlines & Grant Period” section of these guidelines.

  Review Criteria

  Funded Materials/Professional Development (28%)

  • The applicant provides thorough information about the school’s mission and demographics.
  • The applicant clearly identifies the materials and/or skills to which they would gain access through this grant.
  • The applicant compellingly explains how the materials and/or skills acquired would allow them to innovate and/or increase their arts integration teaching practices in their classroom.
  • The applicant has a realistic sense of how many students will be impacted by this grant.

  Addressing Diverse Student Needs (36%)

  • The applicant identifies how grant-funded purchases or activities address learning loss as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
  • The applicant explains how classroom practices address the unique needs of low-income students, students with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, and/or children and youth in foster care.

  Budget (6%)

  • The applicant presents a balanced budget for the project or purchase.
  • The applicant clearly documents all expenses in their budget and expense detail.

  Priority (30%)

  • The applicant is a teacher at a school with a low-income student population above 70%.
  • The applicant school is in an SCAC FY23 Opportunity Initiative County.

• 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.

  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 K-12 Coordinator Amanda Noyes (803.734.8675 | anoyes@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

• open coaching calls for artists,
• 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.