The Creative Advantage to Receive $100,000 Grant

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced a $100,000 grant for arts education will go to support the expansion of The Creative Advantage in Seattle Public Schools. 

“The National Endowment for the Arts is pleased to support a wide range of projects, demonstrating the many ways the arts enrich our lives and contribute to healthy and thriving communities,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “These organizations play an important role in advancing the creative vitality of our nation and helping to ensure that all people can benefit from arts, culture, and design.” 

The Creative Advantage is a citywide initiative to establish equitable access to arts learning for every SPS student. It is a coordinated network that includes SPS, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle Foundation, and more than 100 community-based arts partners. 

“We’ve received this grant for eight consecutive years, which is incredible,” said Gail Sehlhorst, SPS program manager for Visual & Performance Arts. “It’s been foundational in realizing equitable access to arts education across the district through culturally relevant teaching, certificated teachers, arts partnerships, arts integration, and career connected learning.” 

Organizations will carry out arts projects in three NEA funding categories: Grants for Arts Projects, Our Town, and State and Regional Partnerships. The Creative Advantage received funding through the Grants for Arts Projects category.

Since the implementation of The Creative Advantage, Seattle Public Schools has more than doubled the number of elementary music and visual art programs and is now in 88 of the district’s 106 schools. The team is developing more opportunities to connect arts to career for secondary students through Media Arts Skills Center courses offered in the summer and during the school year.

Learn more about The Creative Advantage.