Post 12 from Kara

As we all move a step closer to becoming teachers and are now working to implement arts-based service-learning projects into our curriculum, we need to consider how we may search for funding for larger projects. One way to fund a project is through grants. A grant is a sum of money given by an organization for a particular purpose.

Other ideas that teachers commonly look to are businesses and community foundations.

Businesses like Best Buy, Target, or State Farm often offer school grants and monies for specific projects. You should always start local by checking with your parent teacher association, then your school foundation, then your state arts council etc... There are many types of grants and many different organizations that offer grant opportunities. Here are a few to give you an idea.

NAEA- https://www.arteducators.org/opportunities/national-art-education-foundation

Teachers often ask for businesses to donate supplies, or families to save, collect, and bring supplies to school. Other teachers may try a Gofundme for Education: https://www.gofundme.com/education

Look around, there are so many possibilities!

1.) Give a short description of your plan for your service-learning project. Tell us something that is really working and also something you are struggling with. Responding to these blogs are a great opportunity for feedback from your classmates- so give good feedback!

2.) Find a grant/ or funding source that you might apply for while planning your service-learning project and why that grant would be fitting for your project. Check out the different organizations and foundations that offer grants/ funding opportunities and share some in your post.

3.) At the end of a service-learning project it is important, and not to mention fun, to recognize and celebrate that you made a difference. In the case of our House of Hope project an option for celebration would be to have an unveiling party where we reveal the new mural. What might be some ideas of a recognition/celebration you could do at the finish of your service-learning project?

Here is Karin and Wendy receiving the Veridian Community Engagement Fellowship Award. This is the award she applied for to fund the Giving Back Wall of Hope project at the House of Hope!