Arts Learning

Our Arts Learning funding focuses on programs for low-income Chicago children and youth that use the arts as a means to improve learning and provide life-enriching experiences.

We are interested in efforts to improve the quality and expand the availability of arts education programs, especially in Chicago public schools. The Foundation supports arts education for students and professional learning for arts educators, including classroom teachers.

In arts education for students, we give priority to programs that provide a combination of arts instruction, performance or exhibition experience, and exposure to the high quality artistic products offered by Chicago’s rich and diverse arts and cultural organizations. We look for programs that are artistically rigorous, engage students in the creative process, and assess student learning in the arts.

In professional learning for arts educators, we look for programs that immerse educators in the practice and study of the arts and present teachers with innovative strategies for teaching the arts, engaging students in the creative process, and assessing student progress. We give priority to programs that provide ongoing support and expertise to teachers as well as provide access to arts and cultural resources for both teachers and students.

The Foundation is also interested in applications to convene experts to share information, facilitate discussion with arts educators, and help shape and strengthen arts education in Chicago public schools.