Learn about local funders for arts education and explore funding strategies for arts education in schools.

• Elementary and Secondary Schools Education Relief (ESSER III)
• Creative Sonoma Grants
• Grant Makers in Education
• Other Funding and Support

Record American Rescue Plan 

ESSER ( Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief)

Funding Can Be Used for Arts Education! 80% of ESSER III funds are flexible for most education uses. 

What must ESSER III funds be used for?

80% of ESSER III funds are flexible for most education uses. 

• Full Set of Allowable Activities
• Examples of allowable uses for arts education
• Sample ESSER III Working Draft
• See how other California districts are using arts education to support ESSER III goals

CALL to ACTION: Questions to Ask Your District

• How are the arts included in their plans for student recovery and learning loss?
• Have you drafted your ESSER III Expenditure Plan yet? If so, can you post the draft online for community members to review?
• What investments do you plan to make with these funds and why? When will you start spending these funds?
• When and how are you planning to get feedback from students, family, staff, and other required community members on this plan?
• How will you ensure that the funds will be distributed equitably to address the needs of the most impacted students and families?
• What metrics will you use to evaluate the impact of investments made with these funds and how will you report publicly on their effectiveness over time?
• Will you commit to engage with the community before making any material revisions to the ESSER III Expenditure plan in the future? 

LEARN MORE:

• Attend virtual meeting about arts education and school funding hosted by Create CA and partners
• CREATE CA American Rescue Plan Act, ESSER III, Fund for Arts Education

• Public Advocates Blog: COVID Relief Funding and Reimaging Our School
• NAEA Special Edition Town Hall – ESSER Funding and Visual Arts Design, and Media Arts Education – recording
• Blog post from NDEO discussing ESSER funding for dance education
• National Association for Music Education ESSER Funding Toolkit
• Educational Theatre Association ESSER Guide to Funding
• National Dance Education Organization ESSER Funding Toolkit

Creative Sonoma Grants and Awards

ARTS EDUCATION FRAMEWORK CONSULTING AWARDS (COMPLETED)

The Arts Education Alliance awarded consultancy awards to Guerneville and Horicon School Districts. These rural Sonoma County public school districts will receive customized consultation to develop a strategic arts plan to increase access and equity. Learn more HERE.

ARTS IMPACT GRANTS FOR ORGANIZATIONS

New grant program for nonprofit arts organizations to support programs that have either county-wide, neighborhood, or youth impact. More information coming in Fall 2021!

ARCHIVED PROGRAM: TEACHING ARTIST RESIDENCIES

From Spring 2018 through December 2019, Creative Sonoma offered free teaching artist residencies to Sonoma County K-12 public schools in response to the October 2017 Wildfires. The residencies were based on best practices of trauma-informed arts instruction to build resilience and encourage empathy. To read more about the program, click HERE. 

 

Grant Makers in Education

• National Endowment for the Arts https://www.arts.gov/grants
• Alliance for California Traditional Arts https://www.actaonline.org/program/living-cultures-grant/
• California Arts Council https://arts.ca.gov/grants/
• Community Foundation Sonoma County – Sonoma County Vintners Foundation Community Grants Program https://www.sonomacf.org/nonprofits/apply-for-grants/sonoma-county-wine-auction/
• Stuart Foundation https://stuartfoundation.org/
• The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation https://hewlett.org/
• California Department of Education https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/af/

• California County Superintendents Educational ServicesAssociation https://ccsesaarts.org/leadership/funding/ 

 

Other Funding and Support

SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE FUNDING

The Sonoma County Arts Education Alliance (AEA) provides consultations, as well as offers presentations to schools, school boards, parents, and community groups about options to support and sustain arts programming.

Title 1 Funding Strategies: Arts programs can help schools achieve the goals of Title I by facilitating student engagement and learning, strengthening parent involvement, and improving school climate and school wide behavior. 

• Title 1 Initiative from the California Alliance for Arts Education

Get involved with your Local Control Funding Formula.

• Learn about sustainable funding options for arts in the schools through Local Control Funding Formula and Title 1 Funding in this AEA webinar from June 2020 found HERE.

Return to the main Arts Education page.