Arts in Education - Community Consortium

The Washington State Arts Commission (WSAC) believes that all students should have high quality arts learning experiences as part of a complete, basic education. One of WSAC’s key goals is to incorporate the arts into the education of all Washington K-12 students, and the Community Consortium program is WSAC’s key investment towards this goal.

 

WSAC supports Community Consortium programs that strive to meet these key criteria:

  • Specific plans to expand and/or improve in-school arts education for all students
  • Alignment with Washington State standards in the Arts
  • Long-term, sustainable programs and plans
  • Active and committed community partnerships
  • A local focus: responding to local needs/opportunities and developing local resources
  • District-level support and participation
  • Effective and sustainable arts education practices, in areas including: assessment of student learning in the arts, planning, evaluation, budgeting, and advocacy.

 

Community Consortium programs may include:

  • Arts instruction with a focus on a single arts discipline or multiple arts disciplines, and/or arts integration programs (concept-based instruction combining arts and non-arts subject matter)
  • Direct instruction with K-12 students, professional development for classroom teachers and teaching artists, and/or related planning and development activities
  • Programs that serve students in grades K-12 in public schools, during regular school hours, or in other non-parochial facilities that provide K-12 education (e.g. detention centers, hospitals)

 

Community Consortium Grants are not intended to fund short-term projects. Any not-for-profit member of a consortium may serve as the applicant and fiscal agent - a school or district, an arts organization, a local arts agency, or other partner. For complete information on program parameters and application requirements, please refer to the Grant Guidelines.

 

In 2008, 21 Community Consortia received funding for the 2008-2009 school year, for a total of over $590,000. Funding levels for this grant program may range from $8,000-$35,000, depending on the scope of the program and the numbers of schools, students, and educators involved.