Alabama Arts Education Initiative (AAEI)
The Alabama State Department of Education offers $20,000 - $25,000 grants to public schools and community organizations in order to strengthen the development and implementation of a comprehensive arts education program in the schools. Grants may provide additional support to schools having a current plan designed to provide qulity arts instruction. Schools must have the full support of staff, including teachers, administrators, specialists, and assistants, and be willing to participate in intensive arts professional development. Programs must show a concerted effort to include the participation of every student, staff member, and administrator. Community organizations must show evidence of planning in partnership with school personnel, designing to meet the needs of the school(s).

RFP's are usually avaialble and due in the fall of each school year. Funding, if awarded becomes avaialble in the late spring. For more information about this funding opportunity, contact Andy Meadows at ameadows@alsde.edu

Alabama State Council on the Arts, Arts in Education Program
The State Arts Council provides smaller seed grant funding for Curriculum-Based Projects, and Enhancement Activities.  Annual deadlines are June 1st and September 1st for a fiscal year beginning October 1st. The Council also facilitates student awards programs in visual arts through the Visual Arts Achievement Program, and in the recitation of poetry, through the National Poetry Out Loud program. To support collaborations between schools and practicing artists within communities, the Council provides grants for short term residencies through the Collaborating Artist Program. For further information on these opportunities and programs, contact Diana Green at diana.green@arts.alabama.gov 

For Individual Artists and Performing Groups
Are you interested in working in Alabama schools? Our schools are always looking for artists that are willing and able to teach in the schools. If you are experienced working in K-12 schools, but are not on our school artist roster, we would like to include you in our directory so more schools may find you. Below is an application for our School Artist Roster which is adjudicated by the statewide partners of the Consortium.

School Roster Application

If you are not experienced but would like to learn about how to collaborate with teachers and work with students in K-12 schools, we recommend you sign up for one of the summer TRAINING programs offered by the Alabama Arts Alliance or the Alabama Institute for Educaiton in the Arts. These two orgnizations are approved by the Alabama State Department of Education, and provide standards based instruction strategies in the arts. Training in these programs will help you develop the materials for successful application to the School Artist Roster.

You do not have to be certified to teach the arts in schools if you are doing short term residencies, as long as you are an excellent artist and know how to communicate your craft well. Most schools looking for artists also need financial support. Many artists and arts organizations support schools by volunteering to help design and write grants.  We recommend that you volunteer to serve on grants panels for the Arts in Education program at the Alabama State Council on the Arts, to learn what it takes to design a fundable project, and to write a successful grant application. The Council is always looking for panelists specifically in July and October. To serve on an arts in education panel, please contact diana.green@arts.alabama.gov or call 334-242-4076 Ext. 241.