Art in Education Grants

Art in Education Grants is sponsored by Prominent Banking Institution (funder name not specified in snippet). These grants aim to equip local nonprofit organizations and educational institutions with resources to nurture creatively alive children through arts education.

FY2026 Fund Code 0718: Supporting Arts & Cultural Vitality Teams - Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs Educational Collaboratives Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE Budget Inter-District School Choice School Finance Regulations Chapter 74 Nonresident Tuition FY2026: Supporting Arts & Cultural Vitality Teams The purpose of this competitive grant is to provide funding support for schools to conduct an arts program review using DESE's Arts & Cultural Vitality (ACV) Index .

The grant will support stipends and necessary materials for the members of school review teams. Participating schools will receive guidance about using the ACV Index tools and resources, funding to compensate a team within the school to do this work, and support from DESE Arts specialist for: New grant recipients to implement an arts program review.

(Track 1) Returning grant recipients to engage in action planning around their previously conducted ACV review. (Track 2) Returning grant recipients to engage in implementation and monitoring of their ACV action planning in FY26. (Track 3) DESE seeks to fund schools who wish to use the ACV Index to support equity and access within school arts programs.

The goal is to ensure high-quality, culturally responsive, and equitable arts education programs in the Commonwealth. In doing so, students experience a powerful and empowering sense of agency to celebrate their own and other cultures in and through their arts education. Competitive priority will be given to new applicants to the Supporting Arts & Cultural Vitality Teams grant.

DESE seeks to fund schools who wish to use the ACV Index to support equity and access within school arts programs. The goal is to ensure high-quality, culturally responsive, and equitable arts education programs in the Commonwealth. In doing so, students experience a powerful and empowering sense of agency to celebrate their own and other cultures in and through their arts education.

Competitive priority will be given to new applicants to the Supporting Arts & Cultural Vitality Teams grant. Priority will be given to districts and schools in the strategic transformation region. All Massachusetts public school districts, charter schools, and collaboratives are eligible to apply.

LEAs can have a single school or group of schools participate. State Line Item 7010-0033 The receipt of grant funds is contingent upon the grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including G. L.

c. 40A, § 3A, the MBTA Communities Act. Compliance with the MBTA Communities Act is determined by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

Approximately $80,000 is available. Total amount of awards will be determined based on quality of proposals received. This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

This grant will support schools to conduct an arts program review using DESE's Arts & Cultural Vitality (ACV) Index . Grant recipients can use funds to support the cost of stipends for team members and administrative costs (i.e., supplies) associated with conducting the review, action planning, or implementation/monitoring (as applicable).

Grant recipients may select a range of team members made up of staff members to receive up to a $1,000 stipend each (in accordance with district policy and contract language) as compensation for approximately 8–10 hours of work outside the regular school hours on the ACV Index Team.

If stipend positions are precedented in district policy for an amount smaller than $1,000 for 8–10 hours of work, the remaining grant stipend fund can be applied to compensate additional team members as deemed appropriate by the Superintendent/Chief Executive.

If schools are conducting individual, separate reviews: A minimum of 3 team members must participate Up to 5 team members for any school with <800 students Up to 10 team members for any school with >800 students Up to 10 schools in the district may participate If conducting a review at the district level: A minimum of 8 team members must participate Up to 20 team members for any district with >6,000 students Up to 15 team members for any district with 2500–5999 students Up to 10 team members for any district with <2500 students Applicants may additionally request up to $225 for administrative costs such as materials.

Funds may not be used to purchase technology (e.g., iPads, headphones), data systems, or instructional resources (e.g., instructional materials and student activity materials). Applicants must indicate which one of the three possible tracks the funds will support. All grant recipients will be required to have at least one grant facilitator participate in the online sessions of a Professional Learning Community hosted by DESE.

Additional information about the FY26 PLC is listed on the following web page: Arts & Cultural Vitality Index - Center for Instructional Support Professional Learning Community Dates and Times It is required of grant recipients to send at least one representative to the PLC sessions. Typically this is the grant facilitator's role.

Launch Meeting: Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 4:00–5:00 pm Session 1: Tuesday, December 09, 2025, 4:00–5:00 pm Session 2: Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 4:00–5:00 pm Session 3: Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 4:00–5:00 pm Session 4: Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 4:00–5:00 pm Launch Meeting: Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 4:00–5:00 pm Session 1: Tuesday, December 09, 2025, 4:30–5:30 pm Session 2: Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 4:30–5:30 pm Session 3: Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 4:30–5:30 pm Session 4: Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 4:00–5:00 pm New recipients of the Grant (Track 1): Will use the Arts & Cultural Vitality Index to conduct a review of their arts programming.

Are required to share a summary of the review team's process and findings with DESE as a deliverable (this may take the form of report, slideshow or another format approved by DESE). Are required to share how linguistically sustaining practices, considerations for students with special needs, and support for students and families were incorporated into the use of grant funding.

Returning recipients of the Grant (Track 2): Will use their previously conducted ACV review findings to polish results and create an action plan to address identified priorities. Are required to share the review team's ACV action plan with DESE as a deliverable.

Are required to share how linguistically sustaining practices, considerations for students with special needs, and support for students and families were incorporated into the use of grant funding. Returning recipients of the Grant from FY23 or FY24 (Track 3): Will implement the steps of their ACV action plan and monitor impact through the analysis of ongoing data collection.

Are required to share the review team's impact log/tracker (using criteria provided by DESE at the start of grant program) and a one-page summary as a deliverable. Are required to share how linguistically sustaining practices, considerations for students with special needs, and support for students and families were incorporated into the use of grant funding.

Upon Approval – 6/30/2026* *This funding can be spent throughout the 25-26 school year and through the summer of 2026. If a grant recipient determines they do need to use grant funding during Summer 2026, they must take action to do so by communicating this to the program unit overseeing this grant.

Grantees who wish to use any grant funding during Summer 2026 will need to reapply for a summer continuation in May/June of 2026 for a 7/1/2026 start date, ending on 8/31/2026. Office of Literacy and Humanities Center for Instructional Support Tuesday October 07, 2025; 5:00 p. m.

Eastern* Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p. m. Eastern on the date due.

Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the "LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time listed in the RFP.

All responses must be submitted through proper steps and received by the due date/time listed above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses not received on time will not be reviewed.

Applicants applying after the due date may be notified their application was received late and will not be reviewed. Applications must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions below. Failure to do so may result in disqualification.

If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed on this funding opportunity. DESE will work with schools/districts to observe one or more review meetings in-person in a non-evaluative way to collect feedback and understanding of how review teams engage with the Index [required].

Grant recipients will be required to have a grant facilitator attend a virtual launch meeting, four virtual PLC meetings, and a virtual exit interview.

To learn more about the Arts & Cultural Vitality Index, the Grant Launch, and PLC dates/times, visit DESE's arts webpage: Arts & Cultural Vitality Index - Center for Instructional Support Large districts are encouraged to review multiple schools individually using the ACV Index instead of a district-wide review. Review Team members should represent diverse voices and roles within the school community.

A school or district administrator outside of the arts is required to serve as a member of the review team. Applicants are encouraged to include a student as a member of the review team. Any grant-related questions must be emailed to dawn.

m. benski@mass. gov by September 22.

Responses will not be sent directly to the questioner. Responses will be posted to this website Arts & Cultural Vitality Index - Center for Instructional Support by September 26. Here applicants can find all the questions asked regarding this funding opportunity and DESE's response.

The FY26 FC0718 Supporting Arts & Cultural Vitality Teams Grant will be submitted in our new GEM$ system. GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that will eventually phase out the use of EdGrants. Grants for Education Management System (GEM$) New organizations that do not have an established LEA with DESE skip to Step 3.

Step 1: Establish and assign proper roles before the grant due date/time. Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off.

All roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. These forms can be accessed without logging in to the system.

Step 2: Submit the grant through all LEA steps in GEM$.

There are three LEA steps a competitive grant must be submitted through by the due date and time to be considered for funding: LEA Fiscal Representative Approved LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Competitive grant applications are considered submitted once the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the "LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in GEM$.

In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time listed in the RFP. Please plan accordingly. The Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Step allows for the organization lead to review and approve the grant application.

Removing the requirement for the Part I Standard Contract Form, this step signifies Superintendent /Chief Executive sign off. Any grant budget changes requiring signature, will re-execute this step when amended signifying the organization lead is approving these changes. Step 3: (If applicable) New organizations request temporary organization access.

New organizations are entities that have not been established as an LEA in GEM$. Entities that do not have an organization established in GEM$ must contact the DESE Program Unit issuing this grant at a minimum 5 business days prior to the grant due date for temporary organization access. Temporary Access will need to be created by DESE before you can then assign the proper roles and submit the grant as outlined in Steps 1 and 2.

Failure to provide DESE with GEM$ Temp Organization Access Request at least 5 business days prior to the due date may result in not meeting the submission due date listed above. DESE cannot accept or review applications after the due date. Last Updated: September 3, 2025 This link will take you to an external website which may or may not be accessible and WCAG 2.

1 compliant