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Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find my FEIN number?
You don’t need to fill this in – leave it blank wherever it's mentioned.
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Who is the “organization”? The cultural organization or the school?
The SCHOOL.
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What does "STARS" stand for?
STARS stands for "Students and Teachers Working with ARtists,
Scientists, and Scholars" – with a little poetic license!
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Who can apply?
Any Massachusetts school – public, private, independent, or parochial – serving students K-12 may apply.
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How can we find out if our school has already gotten a STARS grant?
Before filling out your application, check the STARS
funding list.
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Is there a minimum length for a residency or a limit on how long it can be?
To be eligible, a residency must be at least 3 days of one session
each day with the same group of students. There is no limit to
how long a residency can be under this program. We encourage schools
to design residencies that provide as in-depth and meaningful
a creative learning experience for students as possible.
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How long is one "session"?
One session is 40-60 minutes contact time with the same group
of students. A class 90-120 minutes long counts as two sessions.
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Can residencies take place afterschool or in the summer?
Afterschool residencies are eligible. Afterschool programs must
apply through the host school. Summer residencies are not eligible.
Residencies must be completed by June 30.
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Can we apply for a second STARS Residencies grant in this school year?
No. Each school is only eligible for one STARS Residencies
grant per school year. You are eligible to apply for
another STARS grant in the 2012-2013 school year.
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How can we make sure the residency is a high-quality learning experience?
- Be sure to choose a cultural partner with the right experience and expertise for your learning objectives. Ask for a resume and references from previous residencies.
- Meet with the cultural partner before and during the residency
to discuss learning objectives, connections to the curriculum
and extensions, and how best to engage the students.
- Stay in the classroom. This signals to students that the residency
is an important learning opportunity. It also helps with classroom
management. After the session, talk with the cultural partner
about what worked and what could be improved for the next session.
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Is there an application deadline?
There is a rolling deadline. Applications are reviewed within
four weeks of submission in the order in which they are received,
as long as funds last.
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Can we apply if we don't know yet exactly when the residency will take place?
Yes. When filling out the application, just make your best guess as to when the residency will start and end.
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Do we have to have a signed contract with the cultural partner before we apply?
No. However, the cultural partner has to have approved the residency as it is described in the application.
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Are residencies that take place before the application eligible for funding?
No. The residency must take place after the application has been approved.
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Can we use the grant to fund more than one residency in the school?
No. Grants may be used to fund only one residency per school so that we can fund residencies in as many schools as possible.
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What is a "cultural partner"?
A "cultural partner" is the artist, scientist, scholar, or cultural organization that will be doing the residency.
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How do we find a cultural partner? Do we have to work with an MCC-approved cultural partner?
You can work with whomever you choose. Be sure that the cultural partner has the experience and expertise needed to engage the students in a high-quality learning experience.
Many schools find their cultural partners through recommendations
from colleagues in other schools. For a directory of cultural
partners in dance, literature, music, theater, film/video, humanities,
and science, please visit MatchBook.org.
(Our aim is to expand MatchBook.org to include visual teaching
artists. Until then, here are a few resources for finding
a visual teaching artist.)
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Can we work with more than one cultural partner?
Yes. However, the cultural partners must be collaborating on the same residency.
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Can I see the application before creating
a user account?
Yes. You can preview a sample
application PDF.
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Can I make changes to my application?
You can make changes to your application any time up until you
hit "Submit." After you hit "Submit," you will need to email Diane
Daily to ask her to re-open the application for you.
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I've forgotten my application password – how do I find out what it is?
You can click on the "Forgot
Your Password?" link on online application. If need your user
name, email Diane Daily
the name in your user account and she will email your user name.
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Can I use the same login user name/password
as last year?
Maybe. All applicants will need to create a new user account to
access our new online application. The user name/password you
used last year may or may not still be available.
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How soon will we hear whether we will receive a grant?
We will notify you by email within four weeks of submission as
to whether your application has been approved or not. Be sure
your email is set to receive messages from the Massachusetts Cultural
Council (diane.daily@art.state.ma.us).
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We submitted our contract but have not yet received our payment. Where is the money?
Your grant funds will be electronically transferred within 30 days after we receive your completed contract. The funds will be sent electronically as a direct deposit as follows:
Public schools: grants are sent to the town treasurer.
Please keep a copy of your signed contract. Your town or city treasurer
will likely need it for their records and to help them get your
school’s reimbursement onto a warrant. You must contact the town
treasurer to access your funds.
Charter schools, schools within a regional school district,
parochial, or private schools: grants will be sent directly
to the school or school district.
Boston Public Schools: grant payments are forwarded
to BEDF at 26 Court Street. Contact BEDF at 617-635-9019.
Worcester Public Schools: contact Linda Nowosacki at the WPS Grant Office at 508-799-3112.
Note: The MCC does not have the ability to write checks to schools.
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Do we have to complete a Final Report? When is it due?
Yes, every grantee must complete the online Final Report on the grant activities and expenditures. The report is due within 30 days after the residency is completed.
Schools that fail to submit a Final Report will not be eligible
to apply for another STARS Residencies grant in a future school
year.
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Where do I find the Final Report?
The Final
Report is accessible from the same site as the application.
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If we work with more than one cultural partner in each classroom, do we receive an additional $100 per artist?
No. You will receive $100 per session to spend any way you wish
to support the residency – cultural partner fees, materials, culminating
activity, etc. (but not for teacher salaries.)
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Do we need to come up with a match?
No. There is no match required for this grant.
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Several schools in the district are working with the same cultural partner. Can we submit a joint application?
No, each school needs to fill out its own application.
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Contact Diane Daily at 617-727-3668 x262 with questions.
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| © Massachusetts Cultural Council 2012 |
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