AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Cultural Trust (TXCT) has announced its First Year Teacher Grant applications are open now through August 15.
The statewide nonprofit focuses on the arts and aims to increase awareness and support for the arts across Texas.
"That means how the arts impact our education, our way of life, our economy, and our health and well-being here in Texas, while also spotlighting the incredible talent that has been cultivated in our state and reminding people it's important to support the arts within your communities," said Heidi Marquez Smith, CEO of the Texas Cultural Trust.
First Year Teacher Grants aim to incentivize highly qualified educators in the arts that serve in Title I and rural communities and assist with the expenses associated with completing the first year of teaching an arts class in a public school.
Awardees may apply their grants toward professional development, classroom enrichment, school supplies, field trips and additional resources to enhance the quality of arts education.
Applicants must be entering their first year as a public school teacher, under contract with a rural, Title I campus and be Texas Education Agency-certified as an arts educator.
Recipients of the award will be announced in the fall and will receive a one-time grant in the amount of $1,500. This grant is intended to help alleviate costs associated with completing the first year teaching.
"We want to get the word out across Texas, all of our teachers here in Austin. And we hope that you apply, and we hope that you go to those rural Title I communities to apply for this grants and we hope to be there," Smith said.
Last year, the TXCT awarded nine educators the First Year Teacher Grant, totaling $13,500 in grants. The organization has awarded 39 educators since 2019, totaling more than $58,000 in grants.
"We find that in these rural communities, access to arts education is not equitable and if we can get a qualified arts teacher, so someone that's going into their first year of teaching that is a certified as an arts teacher that they'll need, we want to incentivize them to go there and to really be creative in how they use their funds," Smith said.
Applicants can apply online at www.txculturaltrust.org.