$1.7 Million in Grants to Expand Arts Opportunities for Chicago Public School Students

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CHICAGO - Arts education across Chicago is expanding for CPS students as $1.7 million in grants is awarded to 125 Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The grants will support projects that connect students with arts organizations to strengthen artistic skills, deepen community connections, and build leadership.
The Arts Partnerships Residency grants are awarded through the Creative Schools Fund (CSF), a public-private grant program owned and managed by Ingenuity and supported by CPS and the City of Chicago. Designed by educators to meet students' unique needs, the funded programs provide high-quality, in-school arts residencies across all grade levels and a wide range of artistic disciplines.

"This investment affirms that arts education is not an enrichment, but rather an essential to a well-rounded education for every Chicago student," said Dr. Macquline King, CPS' Interim CEO/Superintendent. "These grants will allow schools to build lasting partnerships with teaching artists and cultural organizations, ensuring more students have access to creative programming that supports academic success, social-emotional development, and self-expression."

CSF is a citywide initiative dedicated to advancing equitable, high-quality arts education throughout Chicago Public Schools. By prioritizing teacher-led program design, sustained partnerships, and data-informed decision-making, CSF ensures that students across Chicago have consistent access to meaningful arts learning experiences. Since its launch in 2013, the CSF has invested more than $26 million directly in CPS, strengthening arts partnerships and expanding equitable access to arts education across the District.

Examples of projects funded under this award include a partnership between Emiliano Zapata Elementary Academy and the National Museum of Mexican Art for students to design and paint a mural celebrating community and culture. Elsewhere, a partnership between Mount Vernon Elementary School and the Musical Arts Institute to launch a middle school drumline program with professional instruction, instruments, and performances. These programs not only focus on skill building in the arts, but also encourage leadership and community-based collaboration.

"The Creative Schools Fund is designed to help schools build strong, sustained arts partnerships that reflect their communities," said Nicole Upton, Executive Director of Ingenuity. "By centering educator-led design and long-term collaboration, these grants expand equitable access to high-quality arts learning across Chicago."

A few key facts:

• This year's Creative Schools Fund application cycle saw an 11 percent increase in submissions, reflecting continued engagement from schools and arts partners across Chicago.
• The majority of funded schools are located on the city's South and West Sides, accounting for 87 percent of awards, and pointing to targeted efforts to close access gaps.
• Program design emphasizes depth and continuity, with most residencies extending 10 weeks or more and supporting schools with higher levels of identified need. These investments reflect CSF's ongoing commitment to equitable access and sustained arts learning opportunities.

A key source of support for partnerships is the Lollapalooza Arts Education Fund (LAEF), launched in 2021 with a $2.2 million, five-year grant to Ingenuity to expand arts education in schools with the greatest need through the Creative Schools Fund. Through this investment, LAEF continues to support sustained arts programming across Chicago Public Schools, including 39 schools in the 2025-26 school year.

Grant awards were selected through a competitive review process conducted by a panel of arts practitioners, educators, CPS teachers, and teaching artists. Applications were evaluated using detailed criteria focused on program quality and the need to address gaps in arts access, drawing on data from Creative Schools surveys, artlook®, and additional CPS sources.

"The grants provided by The Creative Schools Fund are critical in the mission we laid out in the District's latest Arts Education Plan 2.0 to increase arts teaching and learning opportunities for Chicago students," said CPS' Arts Education Executive Director César Torruella. "These funds allow schools to design arts programming that reflects their students' voices and communities and support sustained partnerships that make it possible for arts learning to be deep, rigorous, and truly integrated into the school experience."