Chicago K–12 Program Guidelines
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 ability to teach effectively with it.Eligibility: The foundation only accepts proposals from institutions with United States 501(c)(3) status. Applicants must be based in the city of Chicago and their project must be directed 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:
- Deepen teachers' knowledge of American art history and visual culture;
- Enhance teachers' ability to use American art in meaningful and innovative ways as part of the curriculum; and
- Advance teachers' skills in guiding students to think critically about American art, make personal connections and responses to it, and understand its relationships to American history and culture. - The development and dissemination of instructional resources about the history of American art, with training designed to help teachers use those resources effectively.
The foundation is especially interested in projects that:
- Provide time and support necessary for teachers to plan classroom applications for American art content, which are 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 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.
The Terra Foundation does not accept proposals for:
- 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
Terra Foundation Initiative for Teachers: In addition to its Chicago K–12 Education grant program, the foundation offers its own professional-development program for Chicago Public School teachers—the Terra Teacher Lab, established in 2005.
Deadlines
Chicago K-12 Education Program
Letter of Inquiry Proposal Board Meeting
November 1, 2011 January 13, 2012 Spring 2012
May 1, 2012 July 20, 2012 Fall 2012
Download a copy of the Chicago K-12 Education Program Application Form
If the foundation responds to a letter of inquiry by requesting a proposal, the organization applying for a grant will be expected to complete the attached application.Chicago K–12 Education Program Application Form
