OAC Arts Learning: TeachArtsOhio Grant Program

The OAC Arts Learning: TeachArtsOhio Grant Program supports customizable artist residencies for PK-12 students in Ohio, enhancing arts education through collaboration with professional teaching artists. These residencies can range from brief introductions to comprehensive year-long programs, fostering creativity and cultural understanding. Grants typically cover teaching artist fees, which are set at $350 per residency day. The program aims to enrich students' learning experiences while maintaining schools' commitment to professional arts instruction.

Customizable Artist Residencies for PK-12 Students in Ohio’s Schools
The TeachArtsOhio (TAO) program brings schools together with teaching artists to share engaging, personal, high-quality arts learning experiences. Residencies can vary from short introductory exposures lasting as few as 10 days to in-depth immersive experiences spanning a full school year. Creative and experienced teaching artists, through TAO grant awards, offer learners the opportunity to participate in a unique creative process, bridge cultural differences, develop fresh ways of learning through the arts, and realize lasting benefits from collaboration with professional artists who are experienced in working with school-age children and youth. TAO is a school’s opportunity to work with a professional teaching artist to supplement arts instruction. Through a collaborative effort between teachers, artists, and administrators, the program supports in-depth, sustained arts instruction and does not reduce a school’s commitment to engage professional arts educators to teach the arts.
Grant Awards
Grants are awarded to schools to cover teaching artist fees. The total professional fee for teaching artists in the TeachArtsOhio program is $350 per residency day. A residency day must mirror a full school day, including arrival and departure times for teachers. TeachArtsOhio grantees generally receive their full request.

Eligibility

Eligible organizations are Ohio’s public, private, charter, or parochial schools (pre-kindergarten through grade 12). Every application must include estimated in-kind administrator and teacher time in the budget.

Ineligibility

NOTE: OAC funding cannot be awarded for residency activities designed in preparation for (or in conjunction with) school competitions, nor for residencies that are part of higher education coursework or that will serve those students exclusivelyOAC funds cannot be used:to reduce or eliminate existing deficits, or to pay down interest expenses on debts or loans.for hospitality expenses (e.g., food and beverage costs).for fundraising efforts (e.g., benefits, United Fund drives, etc.) or cash prizes.for staff out-of-state travel (except for approved professional development activities).for projects whose primary purpose is to present political or religious ideas, or those that will enhance the property of religious or political institutions.to carry out “brick and mortar” capital improvements, or for equipment purchases exceeding $1,500 (excluding Individual Excellence Awards).to cover costs related to filing for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service.to support individual artists applying via an organizational fiscal agent to carry out a specific project.for scholarship assistance for academic credit.to pay students enrolled in any high school, undergraduate, or graduate degree-granting program, or for staff salaries or operational overhead of public or private schools, colleges, universities, or government agencies.Organizations accepting funding via a line item or earmark from the Ohio legislature in the state’s biennial operating budget – either directly or via a third-party or pass-through entity – are ineligible to receive competitive OAC grant awards during the same fiscal year(s).OAC funds can be used for arts activities that are primarily recreational or therapeutic, but only if the focus of the activities is artmaking led by a professional artist(s) and the project includes a public component.An organization receiving OAC funds from one program to operate a given program(s) or activity(s) cannot receive funds from another OAC program to operate the same or a similar program in the same fiscal year.OAC funds received via one program cannot be used as part of a cash match required to apply to another OAC program.Organizations whose primary focus is to provide childcare are ineligible to apply.