Imagine a world where children go to school and learn to create; where inspiration, innovation and adaptability are learned alongside facts and figures. Picture the child who finds difficulty with standardized tests and other traditional models of assessment, but whose love of learning is re-awakened by a visual arts-based science project, or by participating in a school play.

Students preparing for jobs in the new economy will find that the ability to think creatively is crucial to their success. The schools and districts selected for the MCC’s Creative Schools Program understand that integrating the arts, humanities, and sciences into the everyday curriculum helps prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s professional landscape.

Creative Schools grants fund a range of projects, from curriculum development and assessment models, to artists’ residencies, collaborations with cultural organizations, professional development, and school- and district-wide planning to develop goals and implementation strategies for arts education. The common element is a commitment to using the power of arts and culture to expand the ways in which students can learn.

Any school – public, charter, parochial, or independent – or school district serving students in grades Pre-K to 12 may apply. Priority is given to projects serving schools and districts with high percentages of low-income students. MCC education staff are available to provide technical assistance to help schools and districts identify their arts and cultural program needs, set priorities, and develop plans to address those needs. Creative Schools Program applicants who work solely with Creative Teaching Partners will be awarded an automatic 20 points in their application review.

For information on applying, please see the application instructions.

Creative Schools grants are just one means through which the MCC seeks to ensure that all children in our state's schools have access to high-quality, creative learning experiences. Learn more about how MCC pursues this goal.

Creative Schools is a part of the MCC's Creative Minds Initiative.