JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — February 29, 2024 — The Cathedral Arts Project (CAP) is pleased to announce it has been approved by the Kids Hope Alliance (KHA) for a $100,000 grant, as well as a $50,000 Grants for Arts Projects award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). These grants will support the expansion of the Arts Integrated Field Trip Initiative providing elementary-aged students with free, high-quality arts integration field trips in the summer of 2024.
“There is nothing like experiencing the arts in person to spark inquiry and inspiration,” said CAP President & CEO Rev. Kimberly L. Hyatt. “We are grateful to KHA and the NEA for their support of this important program, as well as to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for their partnership in the expansion of the Arts Integrated Field Trip Initiative.”
The NEA grant will fund a feasibility study to explore how to expand the Arts Integrated Field Trip Initiative further, as well as how to structure it to eventually become a national model. The KHA grant will go toward supporting the logistics of transporting an estimated 4,500 children to their field trip destinations. The newly expanded initiative will provide students in Duval County enriching arts integrated field trips from June 11 through July 12, 2024, at a number of cultural institutions across the city including the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Florida Theatre, Jacksonville Symphony, Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, and Ritz Theatre & Museum.
The initiative also includes a culturally inclusive professional development opportunity for teachers employed in Duval County. The professional development sessions will take place on March 15, 2024, at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens and will be led by national education experts from the Kennedy Center. The program will focus on teaching strategies aligned with students’ summer field trip learning objectives, which encompass improving literacy skills and gaining insights into Jacksonville’s arts and culture, fostering hope and connection to Jacksonville.
“CAP has done an extraordinary job providing data on how the arts support strengthened academic learning,” said Dr. Saralyn Grass, Chief Executive Officer of KHA. “The expansion of the Arts Integrated Field Trip Initiative puts this data into action by allowing students access to experience the arts in person. For many students in Duval County this will be the first time they are presented with such a vibrant opportunity that is sure to make a lasting impact.”
CAP's Landscape of Education in the Arts in Duval (LEAD) survey data shows the main priority in service of improving access to arts education for Jacksonville’s children is implementing a field trip initiative for all elementary school students. Through CAP’s work with Florida Data Science for Social Good at the University of North Florida, data showed that even one field trip experience to a cultural destination like a museum or theatre drastically improves student grades in literacy, math and science. This data drove the conception of the Arts Integrated Field Trip Initiative pilot on June 20, 2023. Last summer, 3,300 elementary school students were presented with the opportunity to enjoy a live performance at the Florida Theatre as well as summer learning packets featuring reading materials that aligned with the performance.
“The NEA is delighted to announce this grant to CAP, which is helping contribute to the strength and well-being of the arts sector and local community,” said National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, Ph.D. “We are pleased to be able to support this community and help create an environment where all people have the opportunity to live artful lives.”
Opportunities to partner with CAP on this important program are available. For more information about how to support the Arts Integrated Field Trip Initiative or to register for the educator professional development program, please email Dr. Lucy Chen at lucy@capkids.org.
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About the Cathedral Arts Project:
The Cathedral Arts Project (CAP) is a nationally recognized nonprofit provider of quality visual and performing arts education and therapeutic services for children and young adults in Northeast Florida. CAP’s mission is to empower every child’s creative spirit, elevate arts educators in their field and advocate for access and equity in arts education. Learn more at capkids.org.
About Kids Hope Alliance:
With the vision that every child and youth will reach their academic, career, and civic potential, Kids Hope Alliance: The Jacksonville Partnership for Children, Youth, and Families (KHA), a fiscal agency of the City of Jacksonville, is responsible for overseeing the implementation and management of children and youth programs, services, and activities, accomplished through third-party service providers. For more information, please visit kidshopealliance.org.
About the National Endowment for the Arts:
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Learn more at arts.gov.
About Florida Data Science for Social Good:
The Florida Data Science for Social Good (FL-DSSG) program blends data science and technology design to inform and solve important social problems in Florida. We intend to accomplish this goal by partnering with non-profit and public sector organizations in Florida, analyzing their data, and finding impactful solutions to social issues. The FL-DSSG program provides internships for students from diverse disciplines to work on these data science projects along with our community partners. Non-profit and public-sector organizations receive data analysis and visualization reports supporting their work in the Florida communities. Florida DSSG is hosted at the University of North Florida (UNF). Learn more at dssg.unf.edu.