LOUISVILLE, KY – The Collaborative for Teaching and Learning (CTL), a Louisville-based non-profit dedicated to improving student outcomes through educator capacity building, has announced it has been awarded a highly competitive federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) Assistance for Arts Education (AAE) Program (84.351A).
CTL’s project, “Arts for All!,” was selected from a pool of 65 applicants nationwide, affirming the program’s rigor and national importance. The grant will provide roughly $3.4 million dollars over five years to expand CTL’s successful arts-integrated approach, focusing on enhancing literacy and civic engagement through the arts for over 2,700 students in grades K-8 in the CS Partners charter school network in Michigan.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from the U.S. Department of Education,” said Dr. Roland O’Daniel, President and CEO of CTL. “This award validates our commitment to empowering educators and students through the arts, ensuring that creativity and critical thinking remain central to every child’s education.”
Project Focus: Arts for All!
The Arts for All! project is designed to serve a diverse student population. Key features of the project include:
- Expanded Resources: Developing and disseminating accessible instructional materials and online resources in multiple arts disciplines.
- Artful Reading Refinement: Refining existing and developing new ‘Artful Reading’ modules and ‘Artful Reading on the Go’ family kits to emphasize US authors & artists, promoting a positive national identity and civic responsibility. Featured U.S. literature could include works like “Grace for President” and “Roxaboxen,” as well as artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Fred Rogers.
- Educator Capacity Building: Providing educators with dedicated time for professional development, collaboration, and inspiration in arts-integrated instruction.
- Strong Partnerships: Collaborating with key Michigan cultural institutions to provide rich, authentic arts experiences.
The selection of Michigan as the project location leverages the state’s 20-year commitment to high-quality arts education, aligning with resources like the Michigan Arts Education Instruction and Assessment (MAEI) Project. “Through Arts for All!, we’re investing not only in students but also in teachers,” said Dr. Ashley Perkins, Lead Arts-Integration Education Initiatives at CTL. “This project represents our belief that arts education builds both academic success and a strong sense of self-efficacy.”
About Collaborative for Teaching and Learning (CTL)
Since 1998, CTL has been a non-profit organization based in Louisville, Kentucky, dedicated to working with education professionals nationwide to create long-term improvements in students’ educational trajectories. Its mission is to build capacity in educators so they can transform learning, ensuring every student receives exceptional learning experiences every day.
Contact: Emily Wilson | VP Partnerships & Engagement | ewilson@ctlonline.org | 502.717.4888