As of 11/17/2022, the following counties are accepting applications: Bledsoe, Chester, Houston, Lewis, Perry, White. All other counties are closed for applications for this year.
The FY23 Student Ticket Subsidy grant application is open as of August 16, 2022.
GRANT GUIDELINES
The Student Ticket Subsidy (STS) grant program provides funds for artist fees, tickets, and transportation fees for students from TN public schools to experience a broad variety of cultural opportunities, arts disciplines, and arts learning from artists during the school day. Since 2010, the program has given the opportunity to approximately one million students to experience the arts.
Allowable activities include Program Types listed on the Teaching Artist Roster as:
- Arts Appreciation– Exposes students to a broad variety of cultural experiences, arts disciplines and artists and increases their appreciation for the art form. While students are primarily observers watching, listening, and/or reacting to professional artists performing, creating, and/or discussing their art forms, a hands-on component might be included.
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- Arts Appreciation Examples: exposure-based arts performances, exhibits, or field trips
- Arts Curriculum– Deepens student understanding and participation in a specific art form through lesson(s) based on national and/or state curriculum standards in the arts. Instruction is experiential and hands-on, with an emphasis on artistic skills, techniques, and vocabulary. Student assessment is included.
- Arts Integration– Provides interdisciplinary lessons that connect arts and non-arts national and/or state curriculum standards. Instruction is experiential and hands-on, with an emphasis on exploring a non-arts concept through the teaching of artistic skills, techniques, vocabulary, and/or social and historical context. Student assessment is included.
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- Arts Curriculum/Arts Integration Examples: artist residencies of more than one day that allow students hands-on participation in an art form with supplemental activities like a field trip, school-wide assembly, or performance/showcase
PLEASE NOTE: Virtual/Remote Projects are NOT allowable for the 2022-2023 school year.
IMPORTANT: Due to challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission makes a commitment to flexibility for grantees–however, it is imperative that clear communication happen between the school and the teaching artist on contractual agreements (i.e; program dates, technology requirements, necessary changes). Both parties involved should follow CDC guidelines and State and local guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic to safely execute projects funded through the Student Ticket Subsidy grant program.
**The Commission does not act as an agent on behalf of the Teaching Artist at any point in the granting process.
All questions about or changes to program activity must be communicated via email to Chris Sweatt at chris.sweatt@tn.gov. Please reference the Application ID (example: STS-####-#####) found in your Online Grants System account or award letter when communicating about a submitted grant application or evaluation.
GRANT REQUIREMENTS
Before and as you complete your STS application, please read the following information carefully:
All STS applications must be submitted online through the Tennessee Arts Commission’s Online Grants System. Applications will be available beginning on August 16, 2022 at 8am CT/9am ET in the Online Grants System.
- Applications must be received a minimum of thirty (30) days prior to the start of the proposed program activity.
- Artists must be selected from the Tennessee Arts Commission’s Teaching Artist Roster.
- A school may apply for a maximum of $3,000 in STS funds per school year. Please refer to Payment Process (below) for payment-related questions.
- STS events or projects must occur during school hours. Projects occurring outside of school hours will not be funded.
- STS applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and by demand until all funds are expended.
- Funding for STS is allocated per county according to school-age population and by demand.
- The maximum amount of compensation STS artists may receive in any fiscal year from all STS activities is $16,000 for individual artists or $30,000 for arts groups. In the event a school has selected an artist or arts group that has reached the maximum amount, schools will be given the opportunity to select an alternate artist or arts group from the Teaching Artist Roster.
- A school should submit ONE application for all students and teachers participating in ONE event or project. For additional events or projects, multiple applications WILL BE considered for funding up to the $3,000 maximum for all combined applications. Teachers from the same school should make every effort to coordinate the projects together.
- Example: One application for Artist A. requesting $1,000 for artist fees for an in-school project. A second application to see Artist B. requesting $2,000 for tickets and transportation fees for a field trip. Two applications = $3,000 maximum from a school.
- An event or project with multiple dates is considered ONE event/project if the SAME artist or arts group is used over the course of multiple dates. Projects with multiple days do NOT have to be scheduled over consecutive days. Applicants should indicate estimated project beginning and end dates in the STS Application and actual project beginning and end dates in the STS Evaluation.
- All changes to program activity or questions must be communicated by the school via email to Chris Sweatt at chris.sweatt@tn.gov.
- A school should only manage one school applicant profile in the Online Grants System; however, multiple individuals at the school are allowed to register for their own login and password to manage grant applications for the school.
- No later than thirty (30) days after the completion of the STS activity, or by June 1, 2023, whichever comes first, the organizing teacher must complete the STS Evaluation in the Online Grants System. Failure to complete the Evaluation may result in the school not receiving the STS grant funds. For more information, see the STS Evaluation Instructions.
CONTACT/QUESTIONS
Please direct all questions to Chris Sweatt at chris.sweatt@tn.gov. Please reference the Application ID (####-#####) found in your Online Grants System account or award letter when communicating about a submitted grant application or evaluation.
DEADLINES
Funding for STS is allocated by county according to school-age population and by demand. STS applicants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds are expended.
Applications must be received a minimum of thirty (30) days prior to the start of the project. For example, if the STS activity begins December 18, your STS application must be submitted online by November 18.
The STS application will be available in the Online Grants System beginning August 16, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. Central Time for projects beginning no earlier than September 16, 2022.
PLEASE NOTE: you will not see the application in the Online Grants System and will not be able to begin completing the application until the application opens on August 16, 2022.
To successfully prepare for your grant application, it is advised to reference and fill out this STS-Application-Draft-Worksheet prior to the opening of the STS application cycle on August 16, 2022. This allows for applicants to have all information ready; applicants can then copy and paste information into the corresponding areas in the Online Grants System (applications not successfully submitted in the Online Grants system will not be considered for funding).
Projects must occur between September 16, 2022 through May 26, 2023.
GRANT APPLICATION STEPS FOR PREPARING AND MANAGING YOUR GRANT
Follow these steps to locate and select approved artists: The online grant application will become available at 8:00 am CT on August 16, 2022. Below is a list of information that schools will need to complete the application. Applicants are strongly encouraged to register and complete the Organization and People Profiles ahead of time so that when the application becomes available, it can be completed in a short amount of time. Please use the Application Draft Worksheet to gather all required information necessary to complete your application online. First-time grant applicants, please read the following carefully: Register in Online Grants System A school representative planning to apply for the STS grant MUST register first if they are not already in the Online Grants System. Once you have submitted your registration, you will receive an email from Lee Baird, Grants Analyst, which will contain your username and information on how to retrieve your password. For information on how to register, click here. For issues in registering, contact Mike Chambers at 615-532-9800 or mike.chambers@tn.gov. Complete Your Organization Profile NOTE: Before you apply for the STS grant, it is essential that you complete your Organization and People profiles. Completed Organizations and People profiles will pre-populate in grant applications which will make the process for applying for STS quicker! Completing your Organizations and People profiles can be done at any time of the year. How to complete your Organization Profile: IMPORTANT: As a public school, you only have to complete information in the Organization profile that is listed below. Contact Details Input legislative district information based on the physical street address above. Visit any of the following to find your legislative districts: County Election Commission, Votesmart.org (Search Votesmart by entering your nine-digit zip code for your physical street address in the text box on the bottom of the page next to the word “Submit”), the Tennessee General Assembly’s Find My Legislator, or the United States House of Representatives’ Find Your Representative. Enter legislative district numbers based on your organization’s physical address into the required fields. School Information Organization Information Fiscal Year End Date Accessibility Coordinator Information MAILING ADDRESS FOR PAYMENTS – Must match W9 form on file with State of TN The following sections are not required by schools to fill out, you can leave them blank: Policy Statements, Mission Statement, Underserved Statement, Arts Advocacy Statement, Specialty License Promotional Activities, Board Information. Additionally, schools are not required to fill out Title XI information unless contacted. How to complete your People Profile: IMPORTANT: As a public school, you only have to complete information in the People profile that is listed below. People Profile Information Choose from the drop-down list Choose from the drop-down list Personal Contact Information Is your mailing address the same as your street address? Please download the STS-Application-Draft-Worksheet–THIS IS NOT THE APPLICATION–filling out this draft worksheet is a tool that will assure you have all the required information to successfully submit your application on time and without error. Applications will only be accepted through the Online Grants System beginning August 12, 2021 at 8:00am Central Time. Applications not submitted in the Online Grants System will not be considered for funding. All STS application questions and required information for the 2022-23 STS grant application cycle are in the STS-Application-Draft-Worksheet. ORGANIZATION & CONTACT INFORMATION As part of the application submission process, you should have completed your Organization Profile as well as your People Profile. Review the Organization and Contact Information to ensure that it is complete and correct. If any information is incorrect, please modify your Organization and People Profiles. See above. Copy and paste the information from the STS-Application-Draft-Worksheet into the Online Grants System. Save your work in the online portal frequently. The primary signatory is the person who has the legal authority to bind the applicant or applicant organization to this grant application. If the name of your Primary Signatory is not showing in the dropdown box, click “Add New” and fill in the Title, First Name, Last Name, and Email, at a minimum. Click Save. Individual or Project Director for School must certify application: Remember to click the Save button before navigating away–the form will not auto-save. Submit STS application on or after August 16, 2022. *Verify that the status changes from DRAFT APPLICATION to SUBMITTED APPLICATION. NOTE: Once submitted, the application will move from the Draft Applications to Submitted Applications, if it is still in Draft Applications then the application was not submitted. Please verify that you clicked the Submit button properly and the application was received by checking the Submitted Applications tab in your Online Grants Account. All applications must be submitted to the Online Grants System. **Please save the Application ID (####-#####) of your STS Grant Number. ALL communications with Commission staff should include this number as a point of reference. ARTIST MUST SEND INVOICE TO SCHOOL: Artists and arts groups will bill the school using this 2022-2023-STUDENT-TICKET-SUBSIDY-ARTIST-INVOICE-FORM on or following the date of the event. COMPLETE REPORT WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS: The STS Evaluation can be found in the Reports Due section in the Online Grants System under the same account that was used to create the awarded STS application and must be received in completion within thirty (30) days after the project has taken place or by June 1, 2022, whichever comes first. The STS Evaluation must include: A school awarded a Student Ticket Subsidy (STS) grant is required to submit the STS Evaluation before receiving the grant funds. THEN: No grant funds will be disbursed until an acceptable STS Evaluation is received through the Online Grants System. Failure to complete the STS Evaluation by June 1, 2022 may result in the school not receiving the STS grant funds. (See Step #9) The STS Evaluation can be found in the Reports Due section in the Online Grants System under the same account that was used to create the awarded STS application and must be received in completion within 30 days after the project has taken place or by June 1, 2023, whichever comes first. No grant funds will be disbursed until an acceptable STS Evaluation is received through the Online Grants System. Failure to complete the STS Evaluation by June 1, 2022 may result in the school not receiving the STS grant funds. CONTACT/QUESTIONS For questions, please contact one of the following directors: Chris Sweatt, Director of Arts Education, Please reference the Application ID (####-#####) found in your Online Grants System account or award letter when communicating about a submitted grant application or evaluation. CANCELLATION OR CHANGES OF EVENT
(615) 253-8914 , chris.sweatt@tn.gov.
If a funded event is canceled or changed for any reason, the Contact Person or Principal must inform the Tennessee Arts Commission within ten working days from the date of cancellation. The Project Director or Principal may propose to the Commission a different event/project presented by approved artists or arts organizations in order to use the allocated funds. Failure to reschedule a funded activity may jeopardize future funding.