School Arts Support Grants

About This Grant

Purpose

To help schools acquire the supplies, materials, equipment, or professional development needed to address student outcomes through innovative arts curriculum, arts-enhanced curriculum, or arts-integrated curriculum.

Please Note

Grant guidelines are subject to change until the application opens.

The “Evaluation Requirements” section, within the “Additional Requirements of this Grant” section, was inadvertently left out of the initial posted guidelines. It has been added as of Sept. 19, 2024. The SCAC regrets the error.

The Kennedy Center writes:

“The arts find their way into elementary, middle, and high school classrooms every day in a variety of ways. The variations can be distilled into three main categories:

• Arts as Curriculum.
• Arts-Enhanced Curriculum.
• Arts-Integrated Curriculum.

All three variations are important, needed, and valid.”

To read more about the way these variations are defined please visit their website and read “What is Arts Integration?”

The School Arts Support Grant is intended to support educators pursuing any of the three variations to increase student engagement in their classrooms.

Applicant Coaching

• Eligibility

  1. The applicant must be a public, private, or charter K-12 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 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. Exceptions to separate UEI numbers are organizations run by a local government or a school district.

     • Individual public schools may use their school district’s Unique Entity ID and do not need to register separately.

  3. 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.
     • If a school wishes to apply and does not have an arts teacher, please contact us 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: 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.
  • Commissioners and staff of the S.C. Arts Commission and members of their immediate families are not eligible to apply for any individual SCAC programs, grants, fellowships, or services that provide financial support or career recognition.

• Use of Funds

  Please Note

  Grant funds should supplement (add to) not supplant (replace) your current arts budget, meaning that grant funds should pay for materials/projects that are beyond your current budget capacity. Grant funds should not pay for materials/projects so that your current arts budget can be used elsewhere.

  SAS grant funds may be used, in one of the following ways:

  • Materials/Equipment/Supplies. Examples could include:
    • Arts materials that will enhance teaching the Visual and Performing Arts Standards
    • Supplies/equipment for an arts-enhanced or arts -integrated lesson
  • Professional Development Opportunities. Examples could include:
    • Membership in 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).
    • Substitute teacher costs to allow for peer-to-peer planning for arts rich learning opportunities.
  • Arts Residencies
    • Please note: 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.
    • Grant recipients must use members of the S.C. Arts Directory for grant-funded activities (see below for additional information).
    • SAS Grant funds can purchase materials to support the arts residency.
  • Creative Arts Therapy Project/Experience
    • Grant recipients must use members of the S.C. Arts Directory for grant-funded activities (see below for additional information).
    • A letter of support from your school’s guidance counselor will be required if pursuing an art therapy project the letter will need to include the following information:
      1. A statement of support from the guidance counselor of the proposed Creative Arts Therapy Project/experience.
      2. Details about the school’s policy on mandated reporting if a student were to disclose information during the art therapy experience that requires immediate action to ensure their safety and well-being.
      3. A commitment to obtaining verbal consent from parents for a credentialed therapist to deliver programming in their child’s classroom.
    • If you are interested in learning more about ways that a school can work with a creative arts therapist please contact Michelle Robinson, MUSC Arts in Healing program coordinator: robinson@musc.edu

  SAS grant funds cannot be used for:

  • Direct student services such as field trips or registration/travel fees for an arts event
  • Purchase of food
  • Purchase of clothing

  If you are hiring artists or teaching artists

  For all grant-funded activities (including group lectures, demonstrations, performances, residencies, and short-term arts teaching experiences), the use of S.C. Arts Directory members is required for school and school district grantees and encouraged for grantees that are organizations.

  Artists identified 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. For any grantee whose grant-funded activities are for K-12 student services, SCAC encourages the use of Verified Teaching Artists. Many school districts require the use of SCAC Verified Teaching Artists for classroom residencies. If working in a school environment, always check with both the individual school and the school 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

  Letter of Support

  All School Arts Support grant applications are required to include a letter of support from the school’s principal.

  • This letter must state:
    • Explanation of the need for the grant
    • Declaration of support for the grant
    • Agreement and understanding that this grant funding is reimbursement based
  • Formatting instructions:
    • Letter must be on the applying school’s letterhead
    • Letter must be dated
    • Must be physically signed by the school’s principal
    • Font size cannot be smaller than 11 pt.
    • Font type is limited to Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
    • Acceptable file types to upload: .pdf

  Evaluation Requirements

  To capture the impact of the arts on student learning, you will be required to implement an evaluation plan to measure the effect of your grant funded materials/projects on student outcomes. Below are suggested examples of ways to measure impact and collect data throughout the grant period. Evaluation methods are not limited to these examples.

  Examples of possible school-level evaluation activities:

  • If you proposed a project with the goal of impacting student engagement, consider one of the following ways to measure impact:
    • Use an exit ticket on Google or Microsoft Forms.
      • Ask: Did [insert grant-funded activity or supply] increase your enjoyment of [insert subject, class, or school]? Provide the percentage who responded Yes and No.
    • If you used the funds for teacher professional learning, ask teachers: After implementing [the professional learning strategy], did you observe an increase in student engagement in your classroom? Provide the percentage who responded Yes and No.
    • Ask for testimonials from students or parents, provide the feedback you received. You can also observe positive or negative feedback to changes in classroom practices and/or parent engagement.
  • If you proposed a project with the goal of impacting student attendance, provide the average percentage of students attending the class a month or semester before the grant-funded activity and the average percentage of students attending the class after the grant-funded activity.
  • If you proposed a project with the goal of impacting student achievement, provide the class average assessment score on a formative or summative on the topic before the grant-funded activity. Then, provide the class average assessment score on a related formative or summative assessment after the grant-funded activity.

• 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 FY25 Opportunity Initiative Counties:
    
    • Allendale
    • Bamberg
    • Calhoun
    • Cherokee
    • Clarendon
    • Dillon
    • Edgefield
    • Hampton
    • Jasper
    • Laurens
    • Lee
    • Marion
    • Marlboro
    • Saluda
    • Williamsburg

• Deadline & Grant Period

  Deadlines

  At least five (5) weeks before the project begins, for projects beginning on or after September 17, 2024.

  • Application period: August 13, 2024 – January 31, 2025
  • 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 Friday, January 31, 2025.

  Here are some time-specific deadlines:

  • September 2, 2024, for projects beginning October 7 or later.
    • Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of September 30.
  • September 30, 2024, for projects beginning November 4 or later.
    • Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of October 28.
  • October 28, 2024, for projects beginning December 9* or later.
    • Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of December 2.
  • December 2, 2024, for projects beginning January 13, 2025* or later.
    • Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of January 6, 2025.
  • January 6, 2025, for projects beginning February 10 or later.
    • Notification (awarded or declined) is expected the week of February 3.

  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.

  Grant Period

  All grant-supported activities must be implemented between September 17, 2024 and May 15, 2025.

  If your proposed project is scheduled to end after May 15, please contact us before beginning your application.

• 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%.

• Grant Criteria

  Are you wondering what makes for a strong application?

  The SCAC recommends using the rubric in this section as a guide when writing your application. Grant panelists will score your application responses based on the criteria within this rubric.

  FY25 School Arts Support Grant Evaluation Rubric
  Student Outcomes and Approach (65%)
  	0-3	4-7	8-11	12-15
  Student Outcomes	The applicant does not outline what student outcome(s) they aim to address through this grant funding.	The applicant somewhat outlines what student outcome(s) they aim to address through this grant funding.	The applicant sufficiently outlines what student outcome(s) they aim to address through this grant funding.	The applicant clearly outlines what student outcome(s) they aim to address through this grant funding.
  	0-1	2-4	5-7	8-10
  Arts Curriculum Approach Reasoning	The applicant does not explain why this arts curriculum approach helps them to address the student outcomes indicated.	The applicant explains minimally why this arts curriculum approach helps them to address the student outcomes indicated.	The applicant sufficiently explains why this arts curriculum approach best helps them to address the student outcomes indicated.	The applicant clearly explains why this arts curriculum approach best helps them to address the student outcomes indicated.
  	0-1	2-4	5-7	8-10
  Grant Expenses	The applicant does not describe what they are planning to purchase using the grant funds.	The applicant describes in minimal detail what they are planning to purchase using the grant funds.	The applicant describes in sufficient detail what they are planning to purchase using the grant funds.	The applicant describes in detail what they are planning to purchase using the grant funds.
  	0-3	4-7	8-11	12-15
  Classroom Implementation	The applicant does not explain how they will utilize grant purchases or implement the professional development within the grant period. The applicant does not provide a timeline of their planned activities.	The applicant explains minimally how they will utilize grant purchases or implement the professional development within the grant period. The applicant provides a timeline with minimal details of their planned activities.	The applicant sufficiently explains how they will utilize grant purchases or implement the professional development within the grant period. The applicant provides a timeline with sufficient detail of their planned activities.	The applicant clearly explains how they will utilize grant purchases or implement the professional development within the grant period. The applicant provides a robust timeline of their planned activities with clear details.
  	0-3	4-7	8-11	12-15
  Impact on Student Outcomes	The applicant does not explain how their grant purchases/activities will impact the student outcomes indicated.	The applicant explains minimally how their grant purchases/activities will impact the student outcomes indicated.	The applicant sufficiently explains how their grant purchases/activities will impact the student outcomes indicated.	The applicant clearly explains how their grant purchases/activities will impact the student outcomes indicated.
  Project Evaluation (25%)
  	0-4	5-10	11-15	16-20
  Evaluation	The applicant does not provide a plan with the methods they will utilize to collect data on the impact of the grant related purchases/activities on the student outcome(s) indicated.	The applicant provides a plan with minimal details on what methods they will use to collect data on the impact of the grant related purchases/activities on the student outcome(s) indicated.	The applicant provides a plan with sufficient detail on what methods they will use to measure impact and collect data of the grant related purchases/activities on the student outcome(s) indicated.	The applicant provides a robust plan with clearly defined methods to measure impact and collect data of the grant related purchases/activities on the student outcome(s) indicated.
  	0-1	2	3	4-5
  Number of Students Impacted	The applicant does not state how many students will be impacted by this grant.	The applicant states how many students will be impacted by this grant but does not provide how they arrived at this figure.	The applicant states how many students will be impacted by this grant and provides a vague explanation of how they arrived at this figure.	The applicant states how many students will be impacted by this grant and provides a clear explanation of how they arrived at this figure.
  Project Budget (10%)
  	0-1	2	3	4-5
  Budget Details	The applicant’s budget is not detailed and shows inadequate financial resources to complete the proposed activities.	The applicant’s budget is somewhat detailed and has unrelated expenses or limited financial resources to complete the proposed activities.	The applicant’s budget is detailed and has adequate financial resources to complete the	The applicant’s budget is very detailed and shows strong financial resources to complete the proposed activities.
  	0-1	2	3	4-5
  Supporting Budget Documents	The applicant does not provide support budget documents.	The applicant provides supporting budget documents that are not aligned with the items in their budget spreadsheet.	The applicant provides sufficient support budget documents for most grant expenses in their budget spreadsheet.	The applicant provides clear supporting budget documents for each of their planned grant expenses as outlined in their grant budget spreadsheet.

  Printer-friendly 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 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 “School Arts Support” in the list of available grant applications, and click the “Apply” button to the far right.

After You Apply

• 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 within four (4) to five (5) weeks of submission.

• 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. Additionally, if awarded, all parties agree to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, statutes, regulations, executive orders, and provisions.

  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 submit 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.