Artists in Schools

The program encourages collaborations between schools, youth, artists, and arts organizations. Grant funding supports multi-day projects typically between 3-10 days in length within a school or district. Activities may engage students in classrooms; schoolwide projects; or accessible, after-school programs.

These residencies provide experiential learning opportunities that allow students to create and express ideas, foster connections within the school and the broader community, gain skills in arts or non-arts content areas, build confidence, build connections with the arts and artistic processes, and reflect.

Priority is given to projects led by Vermont artists and artists on the Teaching Artist Rosters. Applicants may apply for support of projects led by teaching artists not on the roster.

See the program guidelines for more details and information about how funds may be used.

Examples of fundable projects include:

• A math teacher works with a dancer to integrate kinesthetic learning into the classroom. Students learn about dance concepts and use them to talk about geometric shapes and spatial relationships.
• An English teacher works with a poet or playwright to mentor students and provide opportunities for them to develop and workshop their writing.
• A music teacher works with a professional composer to help students compose and perform original works of music.
• A physical education teacher works with a circus artist to integrate movement, performance, and social emotional objectives into the curriculum.
• Students work with a theater artist to explore theater concepts and to write and perform a short play focusing on key themes such as collaboration, empathy, or flexible thinking.
• Students work with a visual artist and classroom teacher to research and document the story of place through multiple perspectives in their community through an exhibit or mural.
• Students work with a musician to explore musical concepts and to compare or contrast cultures through drumming or music.

For real examples of previously funded projects, see a list of recent grantees and read our Grant in Action feature.

• Review this page and all the necessary materials carefully:
  • Guidelines
  • Application preview
  • Tips and tutorials
• Connect with a teaching artist or local arts organization to help facilitate your project. Use these resources to connect with trained teaching artists:
  • The Council’s juried Teaching Artist Roster
  • You may apply with projects led by teaching artists not on the Council’s roster
  • Teaching artist fees vary from artist to artist; grant funds may not cover the entire cost of the proposed project
• Document your agreement with the artist or arts organization regarding a scope of work, fees, materials needed for the project as well as a general timeline for the project. If you are working with an artist not on the Council’s roster, ask the artist for documents outlining their artistry, experience teaching, and experiences collaborating. Review the Application Preview to help you and the artist prepare the proposal
• If you don’t already have a user account in our grant portal, create an account (approval takes 1-2 business days)
• Request your free Unique Entity ID if your organization does not already have one
• Apply by the deadline listed on this page. Consult the timeline table below for other important dates such as funding notification and period of grant activity.

These materials from the previous grant cycle are provided for reference only. New materials will be released when the program reopens.

Guidelines and Application

Application closed. Reopens June 2027.

FY27 guidelines

Application preview

Grant Portal

New user? Be sure to register! Your account will be reviewed and approved in 1-2 business days.

Get Your UEI

Applicants to the Artists in Schools program must have a Unique Entity ID number from the federal government. School applicants may consult school or district administrators for their UEI; nonprofit organizations without a UEI must obtain one before awards will be disbursed.

How to request your free Unique Entity ID.

Tutorial Videos

Part 1: Grant Overview
Part 2: Who May Apply
Part 3: How Funds are Awarded
Part 4: How Proposals are Evaluated
Part 5: How to Apply

Artists on the Council’s Teaching Artist Roster meet standards of artistic excellence, have teaching experience, and have experience planning collaboratively.

CreativeGround is a searchable database that is community generated and provides a list of teaching artists in Vermont. This list is not vetted by the Council but can generate connections to artists with specific skills or within specific communities.

Final Report

We ask grant recipients to submit final reports about their work.

Due 30 days after project completion.

Log in to the grant portal for more information.

Final report preview