Arts education in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is set to expand as $1.7 million in grants has been awarded to 125 schools across the city. The funding, distributed through the Creative Schools Fund (CSF), aims to connect students with arts organizations, enhance artistic skills, foster community ties, and develop leadership abilities.
The CSF is a public-private grant program managed by Ingenuity and supported by CPS and the City of Chicago. It was designed by educators to address students’ specific needs and provides high-quality, in-school arts residencies for all grade levels and various artistic disciplines.
“This investment affirms that arts education is not an enrichment, but rather an essential to a well-rounded education for every Chicago student,” said Dr. Macquline King, CPS’ Interim CEO/Superintendent. “These grants will allow schools to build lasting partnerships with teaching artists and cultural organizations, ensuring more students have access to creative programming that supports academic success, social-emotional development, and self-expression.”
Since its inception in 2013, the CSF has invested over $26 million directly into CPS schools. The initiative focuses on equitable access by prioritizing teacher-led program design and sustained partnerships based on data-informed decisions.
Funded projects include collaborations such as Emiliano Zapata Elementary Academy working with the National Museum of Mexican Art for a mural project celebrating community and culture. Another example is Mount Vernon Elementary School’s partnership with the Musical Arts Institute to establish a middle school drumline program featuring professional instruction and performances.
“The Creative Schools Fund is designed to help schools build strong, sustained arts partnerships that reflect their communities,” said Nicole Upton, Executive Director of Ingenuity. “By centering educator-led design and long-term collaboration, these grants expand equitable access to high-quality arts learning across Chicago.”
This year’s application cycle saw an 11 percent increase in submissions from schools seeking support for arts programs. Most of the funded schools—87 percent—are located on Chicago’s South and West Sides as part of targeted efforts to close gaps in access. The majority of residencies last at least ten weeks and are focused on supporting schools identified as having higher needs.
A significant portion of support comes from the Lollapalooza Arts Education Fund (LAEF), which began in 2021 with a five-year $2.2 million grant aimed at expanding arts education where it is most needed through CSF initiatives.
Grant recipients were chosen via a competitive review process involving arts practitioners, educators, CPS teachers, and teaching artists who evaluated applications based on program quality and need using data from sources such as Creative Schools surveys and artlook.
“The grants provided by The Creative Schools Fund are critical in the mission we laid out in the District’s latest Arts Education Plan 2.0 to increase arts teaching and learning opportunities for Chicago students,” said CPS’ Arts Education Executive Director César Torruella. “These funds allow schools to design arts programming that reflects their students’ voices and communities and support sustained partnerships that make it possible for arts learning to be deep, rigorous, and truly integrated into the school experience.”
