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 strategic goals is to “support high quality and effective arts education programs for all K-12 students across the state through community-based arts learning partnerships.” Community Consortium grants are WSAC’s key investment towards this goal.

 

The two key outcomes WSAC expects to see in Consortium programs are:

  1. Impact arts learning for K-12 students and educators, in which students are engaged in deep and long-term experiences, participate in authentic creative processes, and develop creative habits of mind and 21st century skills in addition to EALR-aligned arts skills.
  2. Collaborative effort and joint ownership among consortium partners, in which authentic partnerships result in shared goals and shared responsibilities, and support for meaningful K-12 arts education is built and supported throughout the community.

 

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

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

 

Community Consortium programs may include:

  • Arts instruction with a focus on a single arts discipline or multiple arts disciplines.
  • Arts integration programs (concept-based instruction linking arts and non-arts subjects).
  • Activities focused on planning and foundation-building, student learning in the arts, and/or professional development for classroom teachers and teaching artists.

 

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 Community Consortium grant guidelines and application materials.

 

Community Consortia Around the State

In Fiscal Year 2011, 23 Community Consortia were funded, for a total of over $365,000. Funding levels for this grant program in Fiscal Year 2012 may range from $4,000-$18,000, depending on the scope of the program and the numbers of schools, students, and educators involved.