arts education school partnership programs – Jan 31

Posted by William Penn Foundation on January 14, 2025

William Penn Foundation issues RFP for arts education school partnership programs

With a focus on connecting people to opportunities in the Philadelphia region, the William Penn Foundation (WPF) is committed to expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all.

The foundation has issued an RFP for arts education school partnership programs. According to WPF, studies have demonstrated that arts education allows young people of all ages to connect to their own creativity, stretch their imaginations, and express their personalities. It also develops social-emotional and critical thinking skills and helps youth build empathy and connections to others and the world around them. Thoughtfully designed and delivered arts education can act as a safe space, allowing young people to share personal stories, process conflict and trauma, and develop interpersonal and cultural awareness. Additionally, in-school arts education partnership programs can support students in their overall school experiences, having been shown to deepen students’ engagement with school and decrease disciplinary infractions.

The foundation seeks to support efforts that provide young people with hands-on arts education led by skilled teaching artists, through in-school partnership programs that are free. Programs must exclusively serve children of any ages from 5 through 18. In particular, the foundation is most interested in prioritizing support for projects that make it possible for youth to engage as leaders and drivers of their own learning experiences.

The foundation requests proposals for one- to three-year projects to connect young people in Greater Philadelphia with in-school arts education partnership programs driven by the young people’s own creativity and interests to support their personal development and growth. These programs are to supplement and not replace the important arts learning being implemented by certified art teachers in Philadelphia area schools.

WPF has a total of $3 million available to advance this objective at this time. There is no minimum or maximum amount of funding that projects may request but the most competitive proposals will likely be those with total grant requests under $600,000 (for three years).

To be eligible, applicants must be tax-exempt as defined by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or operate under a public charity fiduciary. Applicants must also have successfully completed at least two consecutive years of arts education programs in the Philadelphia region and have worked in at least two different school sites during this time.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the William Penn Foundation website.

Deadline: January 31, 2025