community-based arts education program grants – Oct 22

Posted by William Penn Foundation on October 6, 2026

Philadelphia area OST community-based arts education program grants

Deadline: October 22, 2026

The William Penn Foundation seeks to support out-of-school arts education opportunities in community-based settings for young people across the Philadelphia region to participate in equitable, inclusive, and high-quality, hands-on arts education led by skilled teaching artists. In particular, we are most interested in prioritizing support for programs that are culturally relevant and make it possible for youth to engage as leaders and drivers of their own learning experiences. We seek to fund programs that are youth-informed or youth-centered, as developmentally appropriate.

• A program may focus on a single or multiple arts disciplines as long as it is hands-on arts learning led by skilled teaching artists and arts educators.
• Programs must exclusively serve children between ages 5 and 18.
• Programs are to be offered at little or no cost to the youth/families/caregivers, reaching primarily (75% or more) young people coming from low-income households.

We are requesting proposals for projects up to three years in duration to connect young people in the Greater Philadelphia region with out-of-school arts education opportunities in their communities. The arts education opportunities should be driven by the young people’s creativity and interests and support their personal development and growth. These programs will primarily engage youth outside of school time and offer opportunities to pursue arts learning at any point during the year, including the summer.

Learn more and apply