OAC Arts Learning: Big Yellow School Bus Grant

The Big Yellow School Bus program, offered by the Ohio Arts Council, supports school field trips to arts and cultural activities by covering transportation costs. It is designed for public, private, charter, and parochial schools, as well as home-schooled student groups. With grants of up to $500 available, this initiative fosters early arts exposure, enhancing students' educational experiences and creating vital connections with Ohio's creative sector. Applications must be submitted at least eight weeks prior to the event.

NOTE: Funds have been exhaused for this program for the current fiscal year.
Supporting School Visits to Arts and Cultural Activities
School field trips play an important role in arts education efforts, providing exposure to arts events otherwise inaccessible to many students. The Big Yellow School Bus program helps schools and other educational groups defray student transportation costs to professional arts and cultural activities. These early arts experiences create new relationships between Ohio's youth and the state’s creative sector, and support in-school arts learning activities that are critical to overall academic development.
Grant Awards: Applicants may request up to $500. No match is required.
How the Program Works:
The Big Yellow School Bus program supports student transportation costs for educational field trips to art galleries, museums, festivals, and exhibitions, as well as music, dance, or theatre performances within Ohio. Applicants are responsible for making all transportation and destination arrangements. Payment of a grant award will be processed once a final report is received and approved. OAC staff may request additional information regarding grant activities prior to approving payment.

Eligibility

Eligible organizations include—but are not limited to—public, private, charter, or parochial schools (pre-kindergarten through secondary) and associations of home-schooled students. Multiple applications from a single school district are permissible within a single fiscal year. All applicants must possess nonprofit status or nonprofit intent.Funds must be used for field trip-related travel expenses, including securing buses or vans and licensed drivers, fuel and parking costs, and accessibility expenses. Funds may not be used for other related costs or activities, such as event admission fees, adjudicated student events or showcases, or students’ own performances.

Ineligibility

Please refer to Appendix A for other OAC funding restrictions that may affect your request.