Ingenuity State of the Arts Report 2016-17 Ingenuity_SOTA_2016-17 | Page 62

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FUNDING
CREATIVE
SCHOOLS FUND
The Creative Schools Fund (CSF)—called for in both the 2012 Chicago
Cultural Plan and the CPS Arts Education Plan (Goals 6C and 6D)—is an
external, independent grant-making fund administered by Ingenuity.
The Fund is the only grant-making entity in Chicago solely dedicated to
providing direct financial support to CPS schools for the arts. In four
years, the Fund has granted $8.5 million directly to CPS schools.
As one of the four interlocking strategies of the Creative Schools
Initiative, the Fund leverages the rich cultural resources of Chicago to:
1 Address gaps in student access to the arts
2 Increase sustainability for arts education in schools
3 Seed innovative models for replication across the district
4 Fuel classrooms with arts supplies and materials
The Fund encourages collaboration among school leaders, Arts Liaisons,
and classroom instructors and acts as an incentive for schools to prioritize
the arts. CSF grants are available to schools that have a principal-approved
Arts Liaison, are working towards compliance with the staffing benchmarks
set in the Plan, and have completed the Creative Schools Survey in the
previous year. Funds primarily support residencies provided by community
arts partners, but may also support professional development, field trips,
curriculum building and arts integration efforts, supplies and materials,
and facility and capital improvements.
Of the 141 total competitive grants awarded in 2016–17, 139 schools
engaged in partnerships with 55 unique arts organizations. Grants ranged
from $2,000–$15,000 and totaled $1,515,755. From Emerging to Excelling,
all certified schools also received Arts Essentials, which are small grants
used to purchase art materials and supplies. In 2016–17, the Fund disbursed
582 Arts Essentials grants totaling $851,000.
INGENUITY | STATE OF THE ARTS