USDOE Awards ArtsNOW $2.8M Literacy Grant

Oct 31, 2021

artsNow Press Release October 2021

ArtsNOW earned a $2.8 million Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) grant award from the US Department of Education (USDOE) for its program, “Reimagining and Accelerating Literacy through Arts Integration (REALAI).”

The Innovative Approaches to Literacy program supports high-quality programs designed to develop and improve literacy skills for children and students from birth through grade 12 in high-need local educational agencies and schools.

The REALAI program will foster students’ literacy achievement through professional development designed to build the capacity of teachers and media specialists to plan and deliver integrated instruction. It will also contribute significantly to school library collections through the purchase of developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant books.

In addition, this project will include parent events to provide families with access to books and other content about how to support their child’s reading development. Each year, REALAI will serve approximately 3,200 students and 170 teachers, media specialists, and literacy coaches across six high-need schools.

ArtsNOW partners in the project will include

  • Clayton County Public Schools: East Clayton Elementary School
  • Florence School District 3: JC Lynch Elementary School and Lake City Early Childhood Center of the Arts
  • Colleton County School District: Northside Elementary School, Cottageville Elementary School, and Forest Hills Elementary School

The REALAI grant will begin in the fall of 2021 and conclude in the fall of 2026.

ArtsNOW is a national non-profit that offers customized solutions to improve teacher efficacy and student results through authentic arts integration.