Illinois e-News Release

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

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The Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA), in cooperation with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), is pleased to announce that it has awarded thirteen grants to districts and schools across the state for arts and foreign language education. The Arts and Foreign Language Education Grant Program (AFL) is designed to assist school districts and other eligible applicants with the development or enhancement of curricular programs in the arts or foreign language.

"World language and arts courses are essential to a well-rounded education, yet students’ access to these critical learning opportunities is all too often determined by affluency. This grant program will allow us to expand access to arts and world language education that all of our students deserve," said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. "We are proud to partner with the Illinois Arts Council to ensure the arts and world languages have a home in public schools across Illinois."

AFL was established by the Illinois state legislation in 2006. It enables the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the Illinois State Board of Education to provide grants to eligible applicants for the purpose of supporting arts and foreign language education in schools, with an emphasis on ensuring that these areas become part of the school’s core curriculum. Funding is available in each discipline for up to four years, with one year of planning and three years of implementation.

The Illinois Arts Council Agency's mission is to build a strong, creative, and connected Illinois through the arts. The IACA serves the people of Illinois through a variety of grants and services, primarily geared to supporting Illinois' arts sector, advancing arts education, and fostering creativity and working artists.

The Illinois State Board of Education's mission is to provide each child with safe and healthy learning conditions, great educators, and equitable opportunities by practicing data-informed stewardship of resources and policy development, all done in partnership with educators, families, and stakeholders.

The three-year implementation grant is to introduce, strengthen, or expand instruction in the arts or foreign language and to develop means of perpetuating the funded program with local resources after the conclusion of the grant period. Funding recommendations were made by a panel of arts and foreign language practitioners familiar with programming across the state. Thirteen districts and schools are receiving $825,000 for implementation year one and three.

A= Arts FL= Foreign Language

Year 1

Cobden School District 17                                       Cobden                 A      $100,000

District 348                                                               Mount Carmel       A      $100,000

Du Quoin CUSD 300                                                Du Quoin               A      $100,000

Elmwood Park CUSD401                                         Elmwood Park      A      $100,000

Keeneyville School District 20                                Hanover Park      FL       $24,500

North Lawndale College Prep                                 Chicago                  A       $60,090

Vienna High School 13-3                                          Vienna                   A       $96,000

Year 3

Academy for Global Citizenship Charter School    Chicago                FL      $50,000

E St Louis D189                                                            E St Louis             A       $50,000

Peoria Public Schools District 150                           Peoria                  FL      $50,000

Rochelle D231                                                            Rochelle               FL      $40,710

Roselle SD12                                                               Roselle                 FL       $3,735

Zeigler-Royalton CUSD 188                                      Zeigler                   A      $49,965