ArtsTeach receives $252,000 Grant to support arts integration program

ArtsTeach has been awarded a model development and dissemination grant of $252,000 from the U.S. Department of Education for $252,000 to support ArtStart in CMS.

Now in its third year, the ArtStart program provides instructional tools, training and assessment strategies that support the fourth-grade writing curriculum through the integration of a variety of art forms.

“This grant will enable us to increase our teaching artists’ time in the classroom, reach our goal of participation by all third- and fourth-grade CMS students, host a leadership academy for CMS principals and support further training of classroom teachers, arts teachers and teaching artists,” said ArtsTeach Executive Director Deborah Cooper. “This is a very exciting moment for our organization.”

The program currently serves 4,400 fourth-grade students and is expected to reach over 21,000 third- and fourth-graders at all CMS elementary schools within the next three to five years. ArtStart provides additional resources for students identified as at-risk in order to maximize learning opportunities. In the upcoming school year, 21 of the 30 schools identified by CMS as high at-risk will participate in ArtStart.

The grant will assist in professional development and in-class assistance, Cooper said.