Schools Make Arts Relevant Today

The program assists schools, arts institutions and community arts organizations, to develop arts in education projects in conjunction with artists for pre K-12 students. The intention of the program is to fund both school based and after school projects such as residencies, workshops, performances, exhibition tours, traditional arts demonstrations and mentorships that provide meaningful and lasting arts education experiences. The most successful projects incorporate multifaceted components that have a positive transformative effect on programs, policies and people’s lives. Professional development for teachers included in the project strengthens the proposal.

Deadline April 16, 2010
Maximum grant award is $10,000 (with a required match of 1:1)

The SMART program supports projects that:

Demonstrate artistic excellence by including standards based teaching and learning with artists of high level professional accomplishment and that engage students in rich, meaningful arts experiences.
Show significant and inclusive planning, demonstrating energetic leadership that improves the quality of arts education resulting in sustained longevity of the program.
Use a sound evaluation methodology, with clear objectives and measurable accomplishments.
Involve underserved populations and youth at risk
Provide visibility for the importance of arts in education and advocate for stronger standards based arts education programs.

Who is Eligible to Apply

A Maine school serving grades pre-K-12 or a community organization that is

a nonprofit organization, legally established in the State of Maine,
and has tax exempt status 501(c)(3) from the Internal Revenue Service,
or is a unit of local, county, state or tribal government; and
has completed and filed all final reports required for previous Maine Arts Commission grants.

Applicants must demonstrate a fiscal structure that allows them to legally and responsibly utilize grant funds.

Examples of recent SMART Grant recipients

Review Process

The Maine Arts Commission will appoint a committee including Maine Arts Commission members and several public members who have expertise in arts in education. The committee will review only applications that have been forwarded by staff as complete.

Recommendations will be presented to the Maine Arts Commission at its February 2010, meeting. The Maine Arts Commission approves the selection process. Funds will be available after July 1, 2010, at the earliest and are dependent on funds received from the National Endowment for the Arts. Please plan accordingly which may mean that grant funds are used to reimburse costs incurred for the project.

Review Criteria

SMART grant proposals are reviewed on a competitive basis using the following criteria:

Evidence that the project will support full access to learning in and through the arts.
Assurance that the project will demonstrate artistic excellence.
Documentation of the inclusion of professional artists.
Evidence of significant and inclusive planning among all partners.
Description of evaluation methodology with clear objectives and measurable accomplishments.
Evidence that the project includes and serves underserved populations and youth at risk.
Proof that the project creates visibility for the importance of arts in education.

Required Application Materials

Please do not submit work in elaborate file folders or packaging. Make copies of all application materials for your records prior to submitting them.

Preparing your documents for submission - All word documents must be saved as .doc or .rtf files and follow the following naming convention: lastname_firstname_TitleOfDocument.rtf (example: veilleux_lisa_resume.doc or veilleux_lisa_narrative.rtf).

eGRANT Application
You will upload all supporting documents (with exception to video, audio or images) through eGRANT.
Application Budget Form and Detail (form below) providing evidence of 1:1 cash and/or in-kind match or volunteer resources (a cash commitment strengthens the application.) No substitutions for the budget form are allowed.
Letters of Support from collaborators (up to three).
Resume(s) of those responsible for carrying out the project.
Resume(s) for the artists involved with the project.
Application Narrative (form below)
Clear, specific responses to each of the project description statements, addressed sequentially and numbered. Responses can not exceed four pages. The project description is the central element of the grant request. The more information the reviewers have about the project and its relation to the students' growth, the better they can judge its merits.
Assurances Form (form below) with original signature of an authorizing official. Please mark with name of applicant.
Vendor Form (form below)
This is information used by the Treasury to generate a check if the grant is awarded. Applicants should be sure to indicate the address the check should be sent to. You must mail form with your signature to our office. Faxed copies are not accepted.

Mail assurances form and vendor form to the Maine Arts Commission, SMART, 193 State Street, Augusta, Maine 04333-0025.

STOP!

Each Applicant must speak with Paul Faria, arts in education associate at 207/287-2790, Paul.Faria@maine.gov or TTY/NexTalk 877/887-3878, about the project before submitting an application. Failure to do so will disqualify the application.

How to Apply

Applicants are required to apply through the Maine Arts Commission e-GRANT system. E-GRANT will accept applications until 11:59 pm, E.S.T., however; agency staff is only available to answer questions until 5:00 pm, E.S.T. Because of the volume of e-GRANT submissions on the day of any grant deadline, we strongly recommend you give yourself a 24 hour buffer.

Applicants who are unable to apply through e-GRANT must contact Kathy Ann Shaw at 207/287-2750, 877/887-3878 TTY/NexTalk User ID: kathy.shaw or kathy.shaw@maine.gov to discuss an alternative prior to applying. Alternative submissions will not be accepted without prior authorization.

The agency will not accept late or incomplete applications under any circumstance.

Accessible Print Symbol Grant information is available in large print format by request. All Maine Arts Commission programs are accessible to people with disabilities. All programs funded by the Maine Arts Commission must also be accessible.

Apply Now!

SMART Grant Program Application Forms
Application eGRANT	Assurances (PDF)	Budget Form	Vendor Form (PDF) or JPG	Narrative