Announcement regarding the Chicago K-12 Grant Program: In fall 2012 the Terra Foundation launched an initiative, “American Art at the Core of Learning,” in response to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts (CCSS-ELA), which have been adopted by Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and districts nationwide. Designed to help Chicago-area museums address these new standards, the initiative is based in the belief that American art, when used effectively in museum and classroom settings, motivates students to do the kind of close reading, evidence-based and reflective writing, and critical thinking that the standards call for.
During this initiative—in 2013 and 2014—the Terra Foundation anticipates awarding fewer responsive grants for K–12 programs than in previous years. The foundation will continue to accept grant requests on a responsive basis; however, applicants’ projects must be aligned with the CCSS-ELA to be eligible for support. Please refer to the guidelines below.
If you have questions, please contact the Grants Manager at grants@terraamericanart.org.
The Terra Foundation for American Art supports activities that bring American art into Chicago’s classrooms, with the aim of helping teachers enrich the curriculum and enhance learning. To achieve these goals, the foundation funds projects that strengthen Chicago teachers’ knowledge of historical American art (pre-1980) and the ability to teach with it effectively.
| Letter of Inquiry | Proposal | Awards announced |
| May 15, 2013 | July 15, 2013 | Fall 2013 |
| October 15, 2013 | December 9, 2013 | Spring 2014 |
| May 15, 2014 | July 15, 2014 | Fall 2014 |
Eligibility:
The foundation only accepts proposals from institutions with United States 501(c)(3) status or governmental organizations. Applicants must be based in the city of Chicago and their project must be directed primarily toward teachers in Chicago schools. An exception may be made only when projects for which funding is requested take place in the Chicago area and teachers from schools in the city of Chicago make up the majority of the audience served.
Grant funding is available for:
- Professional-development programs designed to accomplish the following:
- The development and dissemination of instructional resources about the history of American art, with training designed to help teachers use those resources effectively.
- Programs and instructional resources must be aligned with the Common Core State Standards for English-Language Arts (CCSS-ELA) and other relevant standards.
- Provide time and support necessary for teachers to plan classroom applications for American art content, which are aligned with the CCSS-ELA and tailored to their curricula and students’ needs and interests;
- Include support structures and follow up designed to help teachers use American art content on an ongoing basis, to reflect on their progress, and to document the effectiveness of their work;
- Foster the development of a learning community, though which teachers collaborate and share their knowledge and experience with one another and others at their schools and in the larger education community;
- Involve individuals with expertise in American art history and visual culture and literacy education in the development and delivery of program content; and
- Provide opportunities for teachers and their students to experience works of American art in Chicago collections.
- Programs focused primarily on art made after 1980;
- Projects that exclude or nominally address the following dimensions of arts education: art appreciation, interpretation, and understanding art in relation to history and culture; and
- Capital expenditures