Overview:In support of sustaining a creative and inclusive school climate, DESE is supporting schools with using its Arts & Cultural Vitality (ACV) Index. This resource is a voluntary self-evaluation schools can use to examine their unique arts and cultural assets. The Index details a structure for identifying areas of strength, and pinpointing opportunities to advance the arts and cultural vitality within the school community.Grant:
The purpose of this grant is to provide funding support for schools to conduct an arts program review using DESE's ‘Arts & Cultural Vitality (ACV) Index’. The grant will support stipends and necessary materials for the members of school review teams. Participating schools will receive access to the ACV Index tools and resources, support from DESE Arts specialist to implement an arts program review, and funding to compensate a team within the school to do this work.
DESE seeks to fund schools who wish to use the ACV Index to support equity and access within school arts programs. The goal is to ensure high-quality, culturally responsive, and equitable arts education programs in the Commonwealth. In doing so, students experience a powerful and empowering sense of agency to celebrate their own and other cultures in and through their arts education. Competitive priority will be given to districts and schools in chronically underperforming status and the Strategic Transformation Region.
Information Session:
Please register below to attend an upcoming session detailing the resource and grant. Zoom login information will be emailed to you the week of your session. The session will most likely run for
45 minutes but may require up to one hour depending on the number of participant questions.
- Monday, October 05, 2026; 4:00-4:45 p.m. Virtual
- Wednesday, October 07, 2026; 4:00-4:45 p.m. Virtual