Opportunity Information: Apply for 2008NEA01LITA2
Apply for 2008NEA01LITA2
- The National Endowment for the Arts in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NEA Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth 2" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.024 Promotion of the ArtsGrants to Organizations and Individuals.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 25, 2008 and posted on Jun 25, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 2, 2008 NOTICE The Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth application deadline has been extended to July 2, 2008. Material that must be mailed directly to the Arts Endowment must be postmarked (or show other proof of mailing) no later than July 3, 2008. The deadline has been extended due to technical problems with Grants.gov, the federal governments online application system. All applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. The June 9 Learning in the Arts deadline has passed and the Grants.gov system will not accept an application package that was previously completed. Therefore, applicants will need to use a new Grants.gov application package to submit. Download the new application package following the link in the application guidelines, or go to https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/formsappsidx.html and search by Funding Opportunity Number 2008NEA01LITA2. Enter information directly into the forms. Do not copy from your old application package or another document and paste into the new forms as this will prevent your successful submission. If you have already successfully submitted an application, you do not need to submit it again.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Special district governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) City or township governments County governments Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Independent school districts State governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
- Learning in the Arts grants encourage efforts that enhance the quality of and access to arts learning for our nations children and youth. Projects must address experience, study, performance, and assessment. Projects that are based at higher education institutions are eligible if they have a direct impact on children and youth. Projects may include but are not limited to Projects that engage children and youth over an extended period to increase their proficiency in and understanding of an arts discipline, genre, or form. Projects that explore new ways to integrate arts learning with learning in other subjects. Projects in which artists, whose training specifically includes education, or arts organizations provide a series of lessons or courses in the arts that have explicit learning objectives that ensure the application of national or state arts education standards. Projects that provide rigorous, challenging summer arts education that enables children and youth to acquire knowledge and skills in the arts as well as gain lifelong interests in the arts and culture. Artists engagements that provide instruction in the arts for children and youth for one week or longer during non school hours and that may complement the school curriculum of the intended beneficiaries. Such projects may furnish space, project material, equipment, job training, and guidance in locations such as arts organizations, community centers, schools, faith based organizations, public housing, tribal communities, or juvenile facilities. Professional development programs that increase the knowledge and skills of teachers, artists, youth program providers, and others who work in arts learning with children and youth. Projects that involve NEA National Heritage Fellows in the Folk Traditional Arts and arts learning, with goals and assessment based on the values and benchmarks appropriate to the traditions studied.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NEA Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth 2 grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 2008NEA01LITA2) is a discretionary National Endowment for the Arts program designed to strengthen arts education for young people by supporting projects that help children and youth build knowledge, understanding, and practical skills in one or more art forms. The underlying goal is to make high-quality arts learning a meaningful part of a young person s education and development, based on the idea that arts education both connects students to their cultural inheritance and contributes to academic growth and social maturity. The NEA frames this work as participatory learning, meaning students are not just observing art but actively engaging with it alongside skilled artists, teachers, and high-quality artistic works, with instruction aligned to national or state arts education standards.
A central feature of this opportunity is that every funded project must include four required components that function as a complete learning cycle. First is Experience, where students and teachers encounter exemplary works of art, ideally live when possible. Second is Study, where students work with teachers, teaching artists, and cultural organizations to examine those works, understand their cultural and social context, and learn to recognize technical and aesthetic qualities; when relevant, this includes skill-building tied to practicing the art form. Third is Performance, where students create their own artwork informed by what they experienced and studied (and for literature, this creative work is primarily writing and or recitation). Fourth is Assessment, which requires measuring student learning against national or state arts education standards, and when appropriate, using multiple assessment methods such as pre- and post-testing. The NEA also notes that these required elements can be delivered through partnerships, which creates room for collaborations where one organization provides expertise in curriculum or assessment while another delivers instruction, artist residencies, or access to performances and collections.
The program is aimed at best practices and measurable learning outcomes, not one-off exposure. Applicants are expected to present clear curriculum frameworks and well-designed evaluations that track each child s progress toward proficiency in the arts. Projects can be implemented in either school-based or community-based settings, generally serving youth ages 5 through 18. Adult or intergenerational learning is explicitly directed to a different NEA category (Access to Artistic Excellence), which signals that this funding stream is focused tightly on children and teens and the structures that support their learning.
Within the Learning in the Arts category, the NEA distinguishes between two major project types. School-based projects serve students in kindergarten through grade 12 and must be directly connected to the school curriculum and instructional program, with standards applied. Activities may occur during or outside the school day and can include after-school or summer programs, as long as they are formally connected to school curricula. School-based proposals can also include professional development that strengthens the capacity of teachers, teaching artists, and school administrators to deliver arts learning. A key restriction is that the NEA does not award grants directly to individual elementary or secondary schools (public, private, or charter), but schools can participate as partners if an eligible organization applies. Local education agencies (school districts) and state or regional education agencies are eligible applicants, and in cases where a single school is itself the local education agency (as with some charter schools), it may apply if it can document that status.
Community-based projects serve youth generally ages 5 to 18 and support arts learning that happens outside the school system and outside the regular school day. These programs can take place in many settings and may be run by arts organizations or by non-arts community organizations working in partnership with artists and arts groups. Even though these projects are not formally linked to school instructional programs, they still must be grounded in a curriculum that applies national or state arts education standards, and they may also include professional development for teachers, artists, and program providers. This structure makes the program a fit for sustained after-school arts training, weekend programs, summer intensives, and arts learning delivered through community centers, cultural organizations, tribal communities, faith-based organizations, public housing settings, or juvenile facilities, as long as the project is designed around standards-based learning and assessment.
Eligible applicants are broad and include nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), private and public institutions of higher education, independent school districts, special district governments, city township and county governments, state governments, and federally recognized tribal governments. Higher education institutions can apply as long as the project has a direct impact on children and youth. The NEA highlights a range of potentially competitive project models, such as extended, rigorous instruction that builds proficiency in a particular discipline or genre; approaches that integrate arts learning with other subject areas; structured lesson series or courses led by trained teaching artists or arts organizations with explicit objectives tied to standards; challenging summer arts education that builds skills and lifelong engagement; and non-school-hour artist engagements lasting at least one week that may complement school curricula and provide materials, equipment, training, and guidance. The program also encourages professional development initiatives and mentions projects involving NEA National Heritage Fellows in folk and traditional arts, using goals and assessment methods appropriate to the traditions being taught.
From a funding mechanics standpoint, the opportunity uses the grant instrument under CFDA 45.024 (Promotion of the Arts Grants to Organizations and Individuals) and requires cost sharing or matching, meaning applicants must contribute non-federal resources to meet the program s match requirements. Awards range from a floor of 5,000 to a ceiling of 150,000. The posting date and creation date listed are June 25, 2008, and the application deadline was extended to July 2, 2008 due to technical problems with Grants.gov. Applications had to be submitted through Grants.gov using a new application package tied to the opportunity number, and any supporting materials that needed to be mailed had to be postmarked by July 3, 2008. The notice also emphasized a practical submission detail: applicants were instructed to enter information directly into the new forms rather than copy and paste from prior packages, because pasting could interfere with successful submission.
FAQs: NEA Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth 2 (2008) - Funding Opportunity Number 2008NEA01LITA2
What is the NEA Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth 2 grant?
It is a discretionary National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) program designed to strengthen arts education for young people by supporting projects that help children and youth build knowledge, understanding, and practical skills in one or more art forms.
What is the main goal of this program?
The goal is to make high-quality arts learning a meaningful part of a young person's education and development. The opportunity is based on the idea that arts education connects students to their cultural inheritance and contributes to academic growth and social maturity.
What does the NEA mean by "participatory learning" in this program?
Participatory learning means students actively engage with art rather than only observing it. Projects should involve students working alongside skilled artists, teachers, and high-quality artistic works, with instruction aligned to national or state arts education standards.
What are the required components every funded project must include?
Every funded project must include four required components that function as a complete learning cycle: Experience, Study, Performance, and Assessment.
What does the "Experience" component require?
Experience requires students and teachers to encounter exemplary works of art, ideally in live settings when possible.
What does the "Study" component require?
Study requires students to work with teachers, teaching artists, and cultural organizations to examine the art they experienced, understand cultural and social context, and learn to recognize technical and aesthetic qualities. When relevant, it also includes skill-building tied to practicing the art form.
What does the "Performance" component require?
Performance requires students to create their own artwork informed by what they experienced and studied. For literature projects, the creative work is primarily writing and/or recitation.
What does the "Assessment" component require?
Assessment requires measuring student learning against national or state arts education standards. When appropriate, the NEA notes that projects may use multiple assessment methods such as pre- and post-testing.
Can the required components be delivered through partnerships?
Yes. The NEA notes that the required elements can be delivered through partnerships, allowing different organizations to contribute different strengths (for example, one partner focusing on curriculum or assessment while another provides instruction, artist residencies, or access to performances and collections).
Is this funding meant for one-time arts exposure events?
No. The program emphasizes best practices and measurable learning outcomes rather than one-off exposure. Applicants are expected to present clear curriculum frameworks and well-designed evaluations that track each child's progress toward proficiency in the arts.
Who is the intended audience for funded projects?
Projects generally serve youth ages 5 through 18, including school-based and community-based settings focused on children and teens.
Are adult or intergenerational arts learning projects eligible under this opportunity?
The NEA indicates adult or intergenerational learning is directed to a different NEA category (Access to Artistic Excellence), signaling this opportunity is focused on children and youth.
What are the two major project types under Learning in the Arts?
The NEA distinguishes between school-based projects and community-based projects.
What qualifies as a school-based project?
School-based projects serve students in kindergarten through grade 12 and must be directly connected to the school curriculum and instructional program, with national or state arts education standards applied. Activities may occur during or outside the school day, including after-school or summer programs, as long as they are formally connected to school curricula.
Can school-based projects include professional development?
Yes. School-based proposals can include professional development to strengthen the capacity of teachers, teaching artists, and school administrators to deliver arts learning.
Can an individual K-12 school apply directly for this grant?
No. The NEA does not award grants directly to individual elementary or secondary schools (public, private, or charter). However, schools may participate as partners if an eligible organization submits the application.
Are school districts eligible applicants?
Yes. Local education agencies (school districts) and state or regional education agencies are eligible applicants.
Can a charter school apply if it functions as its own local education agency (LEA)?
In cases where a single school is itself the local education agency (as with some charter schools), it may apply if it can document that status.
What qualifies as a community-based project?
Community-based projects serve youth generally ages 5 to 18 and support arts learning outside the school system and outside the regular school day. These projects can be run by arts organizations or by non-arts community organizations working in partnership with artists and arts groups.
Do community-based projects need to follow arts education standards?
Yes. Even though community-based projects are not formally linked to school instructional programs, they must be grounded in a curriculum that applies national or state arts education standards.
Can community-based projects include professional development?
Yes. Community-based projects may include professional development for teachers, artists, and program providers.
What are examples of settings for community-based projects?
Examples listed include community centers, cultural organizations, tribal communities, faith-based organizations, public housing settings, and juvenile facilities, as long as the project is designed around standards-based learning and assessment.
What types of project models does the NEA highlight as potentially competitive?
The NEA highlights models such as extended and rigorous instruction that builds proficiency in a discipline or genre; projects integrating arts learning with other subject areas; structured lesson series or courses led by trained teaching artists or arts organizations with objectives tied to standards; challenging summer arts education that builds skills and lifelong engagement; and non-school-hour artist engagements lasting at least one week that may complement school curricula and provide materials, equipment, training, and guidance.
Are projects involving folk and traditional arts mentioned?
Yes. The NEA mentions projects involving NEA National Heritage Fellows in folk and traditional arts, using goals and assessment methods appropriate to the traditions being taught.
Who is eligible to apply for this grant opportunity?
Eligible applicants include nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), private and public institutions of higher education, independent school districts, special district governments, city/township/county governments, state governments, and federally recognized tribal governments.
Can colleges and universities apply?
Yes. Private and public institutions of higher education are eligible, as long as the project has a direct impact on children and youth.
What is the CFDA number and grant instrument for this opportunity?
The grant uses CFDA 45.024 (Promotion of the Arts Grants to Organizations and Individuals).
Is cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The opportunity requires cost sharing or matching, meaning applicants must contribute non-federal resources to meet the match requirements.
What is the award size for this grant?
Awards range from a minimum (floor) of $5,000 to a maximum (ceiling) of $150,000.
When was this opportunity posted and created?
The posting date and creation date listed are June 25, 2008.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was extended to July 2, 2008 due to technical problems with Grants.gov.
How were applications required to be submitted?
Applications had to be submitted through Grants.gov using a new application package tied to the opportunity number (2008NEA01LITA2).
Were any supporting materials required to be mailed?
Supporting materials that needed to be mailed had to be postmarked by July 3, 2008.
Was there any special guidance about filling out the application forms?
Yes. The notice emphasized entering information directly into the new forms rather than copying and pasting from prior packages, because pasting could interfere with successful submission.
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| NEA GAP Art Works Applications, FY 2012 Apply for 2011NEA01AW1 Funding Number: 2011NEA01AW1 Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| NEA Challenge America Fast Track, FY 2012 Apply for 2011NEA01CAFT Funding Number: 2011NEA01CAFT Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $10,000 |
| NEA Our Town Applications, FY 2011 Apply for 2011NEAOT Funding Number: 2011NEAOT Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| NEA GAP Art Works 2, FY2012 Apply for 2011NEA01AW2 Funding Number: 2011NEA01AW2 Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| NEA Art Works I Application, FY2017 Apply for 2016NEA01AW1 Funding Number: 2016NEA01AW1 Agency: NEA Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| NEA Challenge America Application, FY2017 Apply for 2016NEA01CA Funding Number: 2016NEA01CA Agency: NEA Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $10,000 |
| NEA Literature (Poetry) Fellowships, FY2017 Apply for 2016NEA03LFCW Funding Number: 2016NEA03LFCW Agency: NEA Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $25,000 |
| NEA Art Works Creativity Connects Projects, FY2017 Apply for 2016NEA01AWCC Funding Number: 2016NEA01AWCC Agency: NEA Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Cultural Programming in the People's Republic of China Apply for EAPBJ 16 GR 001 EAP 011516 Funding Number: EAPBJ 16 GR 001 EAP 011516 Agency: DOS-CHN Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| 2017 Mayor's Institute on City Design (MICD) Apply for NEAPS1505 Funding Number: NEAPS1505 Agency: NEA Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $450,000 |
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| NEA Military Healing Arts Partnership Apply for NEAPS1601 Funding Number: NEAPS1601 Agency: NEA Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $1,584,000 |
| 2016 “American Day†Cultural Event in Osaka Apply for PAS OSAKA FY2016 002 Funding Number: PAS OSAKA FY2016 002 Agency: DOS Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $40,000 |
| NEA FY 2017 Art Works II Application Apply for 2016NEA01AW2 Funding Number: 2016NEA01AW2 Agency: NEA Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Our Town FY 17 Apply for 2016NEA01OT Funding Number: 2016NEA01OT Agency: NEA Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| NEA Research Labs, FY2016 Apply for NEAPS1602 Funding Number: NEAPS1602 Agency: NEA Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Cultural Programs focused on environment preservation Apply for SDR86016NOFO003 Funding Number: SDR86016NOFO003 Agency: DOS-DOM Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $40,000 |
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| Automation and Management of Cultural Reource Information between the Bureau of Relcamaiton, upper Colorado Region and the State of Wyoming Apply for BOR UC 16 N018 Funding Number: BOR UC 16 N018 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $49,699 |
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