Inclusive Educational Programs of Arts Organizations

Inclusive Arts Education Programs

Involving and including students with disabilities demands more than separate, specialized programs. Having students with and without disabilities interacting in activities together creates awareness, understanding, and respect—which is inclusion. To create inclusive learning environments, accessible education programs engage students with and without disabilities by incorporating multi-modal approaches and accommodating a range of abilities, learning styles, and skills.

VSA arts and MetLife Foundation invite proposals from arts organizations creating or enhancing inclusive educational programs that address all of the following:

• Incorporate inclusive teaching practices;
  
• Provide access to students with all types of disabilities;
  
• Develop social, cognitive, and artistic skills;
  
• Involve people with disabilities in planning and implementation;
  
• Build staff, teacher, and/or artist knowledge and skill of inclusive practices;
  
• Collaborate with public schools, actively engaging students, parents, and school administrators.

Eligibility

Nonprofit 501(c)3 performing and/or exhibiting arts organizations, including museums, theaters, and multidisciplinary arts presenters, that are creating or have an established educational program are eligible to apply. Organizations must have advancing the arts and/or a specific art form as their primary mission.

Only arts organizations located in and partnering with public schools in the following metropolitan areas are eligible:

Applying organizations:

Eligible programs (existing or newly developed):

• Must have students with disabilities and without disabilities learning together at the same time and place;
  
• Must involve public school students in the target audience;
  
• Must be ongoing or have multiple sessions;
  
• May take place during school hours or after school;
  
• May receive awards in a maximum of three (3) grant cycles. Second and third year grants must expand or enhance programs funded in a previous cycle.

Ineligible to submit proposals:

• Individuals;
  
• Schools, universities, performing arts or visual arts departments of universities, and foundations raising funds for schools or universities;
  
• Programs that have received Arts Connect All grants in three (3) previous grant cycles;
  
• VSA arts affiliates.

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Award Amount

A maximum of ten (10) awards of up to $15,000 will be given to winning organizations. Funds must be used for program activities between April 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009. Examples of appropriate use of funds may include, but are not limited to: expanding existing accessibility programs into educational efforts, program development support, knowledge and skill building of inclusive practices; and promotional/outreach efforts to expand audience.

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Decisions of the panel are final and confidential.  Grant recipients will be announced via press release, on the VSA arts Web site, and in the VSA arts newsletter.  All entrants will receive written notification before March 21, 2008.

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Submitting an Entry

Complete submission packets must be received by VSA arts before the close of business Friday, December 7, 2007. Materials received after this date will not be considered. Submit by e-mail, mail, or delivery service (no faxes accepted).  Multiple copies not needed for documents sent by e-mail:

• Completed and signed entry form—eight (8) copies;
  
• Official documentation of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status—eight (8) copies;
  
• Narrative of up to six (6) pages that responds to the areas outlined below.  Please use 12-point Arial or Helvetica font, single spacing, and ragged right margins on a standard 8.5” x 11” page—eight (8) copies;
  
• Project budget—eight (8) copies;
  
• Pamphlets or brochures designed to inform the public of your services—eight (8) copies;
  
• Electronic copy of narrative in Word format by email or on CD—one (1) copy;
  
• Send a courtesy copy of the narrative with attachments to the VSA arts affiliate in your state—one (1) copy. (Applicants from Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, and Oregon should contact VSA arts.  Coursey copies not needed for California applicants).

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Download the Application

Acrobat PDF or Word Document format. Alternative formats available upon request.

If you do not have the Acrobat Reader software installed, click the "Get Acrobat Reader" button to download the free reader software from Adobe.

Questions

Questions about Arts Connect All and requests for alternative formats of this application should be directed to: artsconnectall@vsarts.org

Completed entries should be submitted to:

Arts Connect All
c/o VSA arts
818 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20006
(800) 933-8721 (Voice)
(202) 429-0868 (Fax)
(202) 737-0645 (TTY)
artsconnectall@vsarts.org

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