Spotlight on building arts partnerships to inspire learningSpotlight on building arts partnerships to inspire learningSpotlight on building arts partnerships to inspire learningSpotlight on building arts partnerships to inspire learning
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October 15, 2014
Student painting

Spotlight on building arts partnerships to inspire learning

In 1994, Polk Bros. Foundation issued a Request for Proposals that announced, “The Foundation seeks proposals for educational outreach programs that go beyond events and visits – beyond entertainment – to provide a lasting set of experiences to enhance and improve children’s lives and learning. We are interested in programs that integrate the arts into teaching and learning; where cultural institutions and schools work together to create these programs; and where children, teachers and parents all gain in the process…”

In two subsequent RFPs issued in 1998 and 2000, the call was expanded to include Chicago’s collections- and research-based scientific institutions and emphasis was placed on classroom change and evaluation. Thirty-five grants, totaling $2,112,300, were awarded through those RFPs.

An independent evaluation indicated that the program was “helping to transform these institutions and to reach populations of students they would not otherwise reach.” Indeed, these partnerships have resulted in the development of rigorous professional learning programs for teachers and inspiring, interactive learning experiences for students, and have energized teaching and learning across the city in science, math, and the humanities. The successes and learnings from the “major culturals” initiative encouraged the Foundation to fold this approach into its regular Arts Access and Learning grantmaking.

Learn more about our focus on Arts Access and Learning.

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About Polk Bros. Foundation

Polk Bros. Foundation is a private independent foundation dedicated to building and strengthening Chicago's families and communities, especially those most affected by poverty. The Foundation focuses its work at the intersection of Chicago's most pressing issues to address the complex roots and devastating effects of poverty, challenge inequity, and ensure that all Chicagoans have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Learn more.

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