Big Yellow School Bus Grant

Big Yellow School Bus Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Rhode Island State Council on the Arts
Amount: Up to US $500
Last Updated: March 09, 2026

Summary

The Big Yellow School Bus Grant, offered by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, provides funding to support in-person field trips for Rhode Island schools. Grants of up to $500 are available to facilitate arts and cultural experiences. Schools can apply starting September 1 for the 2025-26 school year. Eligible organizations include schools and affiliated non-profits, with a maximum of two grants awarded per school each year.

Overview

Note: The grant will remain open until April 15 or until all funds are awarded. Big Yellow School Bus supports funding for schools planning an in-person field trip with an arts and cultural organization or artists. We have distributed all the funds available for the 2024-25 school year. Grants for the 2025-26 school year will open Sept. 1 with a rolling deadline. Big Yellow School Bus (BYSB) provides grants of up to $500 to support arts learning in the school. To qualify for this funding, schools must plan an in-person arts and cultural field trip with an arts and culture organization in Rhode Island.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Rhode Island schools or school-affiliated non-profit organizations (e.g., PTO/PTA, diocese).Field trips must take place at a Rhode Island arts or cultural organization.This program does not fund field trips to see touring productions of non-Rhode Island based artists or arts groups.Field trip activities need to take place by June 30.Maximum of two grants may be awarded per school per school year. Receiving a Big Yellow School Bus Grant does not preclude a school from applying to other RISCA grant programs in the same year (e.g. PGO/PGE).Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis.Incomplete applications may be returned thus affecting your first-come, first-served status.The grants are awarded to schools or school-affiliated non-profit organizations (e.g. PTO/PTA, diocese).This is a reimbursement grant. If awarded a BYSB grant, funds will be paid to the authorized* school vendor (e.g. school department or city or town), school, or school-affiliated non-profit organization at the end of the school year, often after the field trip has taken place.  The grant invoice will be submitted in the spring. Once the invoice is submitted, allow 8-12 weeks for payment.It is the school’s responsibility to pay for any field trip admission fees and/or transportation costs directly to the appropriate vendor.