Arts Education School Partnership Programs Grant

The William Penn Foundation's Arts Education School Partnership Programs aim to enhance student success in Philadelphia by increasing access to diverse, hands-on arts education led by skilled teaching artists. With a focus on youth engagement and creativity, these programs are designed for children aged 5-18 and strive to create safe spaces for self-expression and personal development. This initiative addresses the disparities in arts education access for low-income families, promoting social-emotional skills and critical thinking through innovative learning experiences.

Background
Research shows that diverse, well-trained teachers are positively related to student achievement, higher graduation rates, school attendance, and post-secondary completion.
However, diverse and well-trained teachers are in short supply, particularly in Philadelphia. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, more than 15,000 in-state certifications were issued during the 2010-11 school year. By 2021-22, that number had dropped to approximately 4,200. Nationally and locally, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and other teachers of color are underrepresented compared to the population of students they serve. In Philadelphia schools, over 86% of students identify as people of color, while only 38.6% of teachers do.
We are seeking to support projects and programs that research and experience show will be most effective in making progress on the objective above.
Studies have demonstrated that arts education allows young people of all ages to connect to their own creativity, stretch their imaginations, and express their personalities. It also develops social-emotional and critical thinking skills[1] and helps youth build empathy and connections to others and the world around them.[2] Thoughtfully designed and delivered arts education can act as a safe space, allowing young people to share personal stories, process conflict and trauma, and develop interpersonal and cultural awareness. Additionally, in-school arts education partnership programs can support students in their overall school experiences, having been shown to deepen students’ engagement with school and decrease disciplinary infractions.[3] However, not all students in our region have access to these opportunities. This RFP aims to address this unequal distribution by supporting the work of programs reaching students from low-income families.
The Foundation seeks to support efforts that provide young people with hands-on arts education led by skilled teaching artists, through in-school partnership programs that are provided at no cost to schools or students. Programs must exclusively serve children of any ages from 5-18. In particular, we are most interested in prioritizing support for projects that make it possible for youth to engage as leaders and drivers of their own learning experiences.
We are requesting proposals for projects that last from one to three years and connect young people in Greater Philadelphia with in-school arts education partnership programs driven by the young people’s own creativity and interests to support their personal development and growth. These programs are to supplement and not replace the important arts learning being implemented by certified art teachers in Philadelphia area schools. These programs will be implemented by teaching artists in partnership with classroom teachers and specialists. This can include models ranging from arts integration and enrichment to afterschool arts clubs, to expand and broaden arts education for the region’s young people. Conducted in schools, these programs will primarily connect to youth during the school day or afterschool hours at their schools. After reviewing proposals, WPF will conduct site visits and gather additional information from a limited number of organizations.