FY2025 TranspARTation Grant Program

Program Purpose

• To provide schools with assistance for transportation costs associated with field trips to arts organizations.
• To increase student access to high quality arts education programming and experiences.

Who May Apply

Any teacher at a Kentucky public or private school that supports preschool through grade 12.

Program Description

This grant program enables Kentucky teachers and schools to provide their students with high quality arts experiences by funding transportation to programs provided by organizations in the TranspARTation Directory. Schools may apply for a grant based on the roundtrip mileage from their building to the facility and the number of buses necessary.

Note: The TranspARTation Grant is a reimbursement program. Approved awards will not be paid until the field trip has been completed and the final report has been submitted.

TranspARTation Directory

Funds may only be used to travel to the arts organizations listed below. It is recommended that you discuss your visit with the organization before submitting your application to confirm the availability and terms of the trip.

• Actors Theatre of Louisville, Jefferson
• Art Center of the Bluegrass, Boyle
• Boyle Co. Performing Arts Center, Boyle
• Commonwealth Theatre Center, Jefferson
• EKU Center for the Performing Arts, Madison
• Gateway Regional Arts Center (GRAC), Montgomery
• Hardin County Schools Performing Arts Center, Hardin
• Josephine Sculpture Park, Franklin
• Kentucky Ballet Theatre, Fayette
• KMAC Contemporary Art Museum, Jefferson
• Kentucky Opera, Jefferson
• Lake Cumberland Performing Arts Center, Pulaski
• Lexington Ballet Company, Fayette
• Lexington Children's Theatre, Fayette
• Lexington Philharmonic, Fayette
• Living Arts and Science Center, Fayette
• Louisville Ballet, Jefferson
• Louisville Orchestra, Jefferson
• Norton Center for the Arts, Boyle
• Owensboro Dance Theatre, Daviess
• Playhouse in the Park, Calloway
• RiverPark Center, Daviess
• SKyPAC, Warren
• StageOne Family Theatre, Jefferson
• Speed Art Museum, Jefferson
• The Carson Center, McCracken
• The Woodford Theatre, Woodford
• University of Kentucky Art Museum, Fayette
• Yes Arts, Franklin

Grant Amounts

Funds are distributed on a reimbursement basis using the following formula: Roundtrip mileage from school to facility x $2 x number of buses = reimbursement amount (e.g., 55 miles roundtrip x $2 x 3 buses = $330).

Restrictions

• Field trip destinations must be chosen from the TranspARTation Directory.
• No more than two TranspARTation Grant applications will be accepted from one school per fiscal year.
• There may be only one field trip per application.
• There may be only one field trip per group of students per year. Multiple grades may go together.
• Home schools and home school associations are ineligible.

Program Timeline

Performance Expectations

Your application will be reviewed using the following performance expectations. Refer to the Panelist Assessment Sheet to better understand how your narrative will be evaluated.

1. Planning and Implementation (50 points)
• Preparation for the field trip
• Planned field trip programming
• Student engagement during the field trip
• Teacher engagement during the field trip
• Field trip ties to the Kentucky Academic Standards for the Visual and Performing Arts
2. Measuring Impact (30 points)
• Clear and measurable student learning outcomes (What do you want students to be able to do after the field trip?)
• Assessment of student learning outcomes
• Strategies for continued learning after the field trip
3. Accessibility and Cultural Equity (20 points)
• Culturally equitable field trip programming (what's this?) : A culturally equitable field trip provides an equitable opportunity for students to have an arts experience that might otherwise be inaccessible to them due to socio-economic challenges, geography, etc. It might also provide students exposure to see artists from diverse backgrounds demonstrate their artistry.
• Instructional strategies and resources to engage students with disabilities

How to Apply

1. Obtain approval: Arrange for your administrators (e.g., district superintendent and principal) to approve the proposal and sign your application.
2. Select and contact a field trip destination: All host organizations must be selected from the arts council’s TranspARTation Directory.
3. Plan your field trip: Teachers and host organizations work in partnership to develop and finalize the field trip plan, including scheduling, logistics, programmed activities, etc.
4. Complete the application: Applications for this program are made through our online grant system. Before beginning the application, carefully read all instructions included in this document. Detailed application instructions are provided below. The application must be submitted online by 5 p.m. Eastern on the deadline date. Following the deadline, each application will be reviewed by the program director, who may contact the applicant if clarification is needed.

Accessing and Completing the Application

Creating a GO Smart Profile

Before beginning the application, you will need to create a profile, including a username and password at kyarts.gosmart.org. For this program you will need to create an “organization” profile. Do not select "individual" profile. Store your username and password in a safe place to ensure that you can access your account later. You can use this profile to apply for this program year after year and update it as needed.

Required Materials

The information below is available through the school or district finance officer.

• IRS tax-exempt determination letter: The letter can be obtained from your finance officer. It indicates the tax-exempt status of your school or organization as a nonprofit or public entity. A sample letter is available from the arts council staff upon request. This letter should also include your school’s federal identification number (FEIN).
• 501(c)3 incorporation date: Note, this date may be on your IRS tax exempt determination letter.
• FEIN number: Note: the FEIN number may be on the IRS tax exempt determination letter.
• Unique Entity Number (UEI)
• Kentucky Vendor numbers.

Signature Page

This is an electronic form through a service called DocuSign. Please request that your district technology department safelist this domain so that these important emails arrive in your inbox and not in your spam folder. You can click to sign the document directly in your web browser and do not need to download or print anything. You will be prompted to enter the email addresses of your Superintendent (or equivalent administrator), Principal, Contact Person, and Artist. After you sign and click “Finish,” the form will automatically send itself to the next signatory. 

Submitting the signature page does not automatically submit your application - you must return to the application and click "Submit".

Application Review Process

Step 1: Panel Meeting

A panel of educators, arts professionals and other individuals with relevant experience will review and score all applications according to the program performance expectations. Applicants may monitor the panel meeting and listen to the panelists’ deliberations via conference call. The arts council will send notification of panel dates and conference call arrangements to applicants after the application deadline.

Step 2: Arts Council Board Meeting

The panel’s recommendations are forwarded to the arts council’s governing board for approval.

Step 3: Grant Agreement

If your application is approved, the arts council will send a notification of approval via the email provided in the application. A Grant Agreement Form (GAF) for the total amount funded will be sent to the superintendent or equivalent administrator named in the application. The GAF must be signed and returned within 15 days.

Grant agreements cannot be altered without prior approval from the program director. If field trip dates must be rescheduled or canceled for any reason, notify the program director immediately. Failure to do so may jeopardize future funding. Grants are for the period and activities specified in the approved application. Funds must be spent or committed for activities taking place within the period stated unless an extension has been approved by the arts council in writing.

Final Report and Reimbursement

All TranspARTation grantees must submit a final report within 15 days of the field trip. The person submitting the final report will be asked to verify the date the field trip occurred, roundtrip mileage, and the number of buses used. If the number of buses or the number of roundtrip miles is less than the number specified on the application, the grant amount will be reduced accordingly. For example, if your approved grant amount was $600 based on anticipated use of three buses, but the use of only two buses was needed, then the grant amount would be reduced to $400.

Reimbursement checks will be processed and mailed within 30 working days upon receipt of the final report and the GAF.

Failure to submit the required final report for any grant will render your school ineligible for application to any arts council program until an acceptable final report is received.

Program Support

The arts council staff will offer the following support to ensure that performance expectations and goals are met:

• Assistance in developing a field trip plan.
• Consultation regarding applicant eligibility.
• Technical assistance with submitting the application or final report.
• Assistance locating or implementing accessibility resources.

For More Information

Cynthia Warner
Arts Education Director
cynthia.warner@ky.gov
502-782-4982