This application is CLOSED.
Register for a Grant Information Session
Creative Start Grant:
- Tuesday March 15, 2022 at 4-5pm | Watch the recording
- Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 4-5pm REGISTER
AIE Grants Budget Support:
- Thursday, March 24, 2022 at 4-5pm REGISTER
About this Grant
ArtsWA’s Creative Start Grant program seeks to support the creative, academic, and social emotional growth of Washington State’s early learners through arts integration*. This one-year grant is designed to expand professional learning opportunities for early learning educators in arts integration teaching methods. Creative Start Grant funds support collaborative projects between educators, schools, early learning centers, and families that increase innovative and relevant opportunities for teaching and learning through the arts in preschool to 3rd grade classrooms across the state.
*Arts integration is an approach to teaching and learning that connects an arts discipline with non-arts curriculum in a way that meets standards and objectives for both.
The Creative Start Grant is:
- Focused on arts integration and professional learning
- Focused on preschool through 3rd grade students and educators
- Open to Single-Site (one location) or Multi-Site projects
- Open to new or continuing arts integration projects
- Note: Non-profit arts and cultural organizations are encouraged to apply for an AIE Partnership Grant here.
Funding Amounts
- Single-Site: $5,000 – $10,000
- Multi-Site: $10,000 – $25,000
- No matching funds required
Important Dates
- Application Opens: March 10, 2022
- Applications Deadline: April 14, 2022 at 5:00 pm
- Grant Notifications: by June 8, 2022
- Grant Funds Distributed: July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023
- Final Report Due: July 31, 2023
Application Information
Any Washington State:
- Public school, school district, or Educational Service District (ESD) serving early learning students, preschool through 3rd grade
- Tribal school or government serving early learning students, preschool through 3rd grade
- Early Learning Center with 501(c)(3) status
- Individuals
- Arts organizations
- For-profit organizations
- Political or advocacy organizations
- Organizations based outside of Washington State
- Organizations seeking to fund projects and/or programs that promote religious content
Allowable: Applicants to the Creative Start grant program can apply for and receive other ArtsWA grants if those funds are used to support different expenses and services from those outlined in their Creative Start application. This includes:
- Arts for All (A4A) Recovery Grant – Application open January 15 – February 24, 2022
Not Allowable: Applicants may not apply for both the Arts in Education Partnership Grant and Creative Start Grant programs per fiscal year.
Screening for Eligibility
Creative Start Grant applications submitted by the deadline are reviewed by ArtsWA staff for completion and eligibility. Complete and eligible applications are sent to a grant scoring panel for evaluation.
Evaluation and Grant Scoring Panel
A panel of arts education professionals, ArtsWA Commissioners, and ArtsWA staff evaluate eligible Creative Start Grant applications. Panelists use scoring criteria to give a numerical score to each application. An application’s final score is the combined average of all panelists’ scores. Applicants are awarded grant funds using the ranking score order until available funds are exhausted.
Panelists will assign each Creative Start Grant application a score between 0-60 using the criteria and point system below. 60 points is the highest possible score for this grant application.
- Project Design: (20 points possible) The proposal describes:
- Arts Integration: focused student learning goals in an arts discipline and non-arts curriculum and relevant learning frameworks or standards
- Project Management: project budget, timeline, a feasible staffing plan, and administrative support for project implementation
- Support for Educators and Artists: (20 points possible) The proposal describes:
- Professional Learning: learning opportunities for participating early learning educators that support project goals
- Educators and Artists: financial support, appropriate planning time, and relevant growth opportunities for contributing educators and artists
- Community Access (20 points possible) The proposal describes:
- Planning for Access: focused actions that aim or seek to increase access to arts integrated learning for a diversity of students, educators, and families
- Community and Family Connections: efforts to increase project connections to the lives of participating students and families
Notification of Grant Awards
Notifications are sent to Creative Start Grant applicants as soon as possible after the ArtsWA Board of Commissioners meet and approve final panel scores. Notifications will be sent via email no later than June 8, 2022.
Creative Start Grant:
- Tuesday March 15, 2022 at 4-5pm | Watch the recording
- Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 4-5pm REGISTER
AIE Grants Budget Support:
- Thursday, March 24, 2022 at 4-5pm REGISTER
Contact us
If you have any questions about the Creative Start program, please contact: Alexis Sarah, Project Manager: alexis.sarah@arts.wa.gov, 360-228-6359