Program & Grants
Arts Learning
Improving access to high-quality arts learning experiences for low-income youth
The Fry Foundation’s Arts Learning funding focuses on programs that improve access to high-quality arts learning experiences for low-income youth in Chicago Public Schools (CPS).
What we fund
Our funding focuses on:
Student Arts Instruction: The Foundation invests in programs that provide students with access to high-quality arts instruction, performance or exhibition experiences, and exposure to the high-quality artistic products offered by Chicago’s rich and diverse arts and cultural organizations. The program seeks to provide low-income students in the city of Chicago with access to high-quality instruction taught by trained art instructors. The Fry Foundation invests in programs that help build student skills and knowledge in a variety of artistic disciplines and uses the arts to nurture students' ability to solve complex problems and assess their own work.
Teacher Professional Learning: We fund programs that build and improve the skills of Chicago public school arts teachers, Chicago public school classroom teachers, and teaching artists to more effectively provide arts instruction to students.
Within these priority areas, we look for programs that have:
A structured curriculum with clear learning goals that articulate what students will learn in the arts;
Instructors who are skilled educators and experts in the art form and instruction;
Exhibitions and performance opportunities;
Exposure to high-quality artistic products offered by arts and cultural organizations in Chicago;
A track record of effectiveness that demonstrates depth and trajectory of student learning;
Arts learning opportunities involving partnerships between classroom teachers and teaching artists;
Professional learning opportunities for arts instructors to become more effective educators and continuously improve student engagement in each lesson;
Appropriate space, resources, and materials required for successful learning;
A process for evaluation and reflection that drives program improvements. We look for grantees to have appropriate indicators or benchmarks that measure student progress in skills and knowledge in the art form;
Opportunities to refine strategies in curriculum development, assessment, and program evaluation; and
A focus on serving high percentages of predominately low-income schools and youth in Chicago. We look for programs that work with students attending schools that serve a high percentage of low-income students. A majority of programs we fund work within at least 5 to 10 community locations.
The Fry Foundation constantly collaborates with us to help us think about how we can continue to expand our impact….We would not exist if not for the generosity of the Fry Foundation.”
—Miguel Angel Rodriguez, Co-Executive Director, Albany Park Theater Project
What we do not fund
While the Fry Foundation is committed to enhancing arts learning outcomes, there are certain areas we generally do not support:
Scholarship programs: We do not fund individual scholarships.
Unsolicited proposals from individual schools: Proposals must align with our broader focus areas and come through invited partnerships.
Competitions, Productions, or Exhibitions: We do not fund programs that are solely for performance and do not have robust learning components for students.
Programs serving students outside of Chicago: Programs must benefit students who reside within Chicago.