Connecting Kids and Culture [ Overview ] A cultural learning experience connecting kids, culture, and the community

Connecting Kids and Culture

A cultural learning experience connecting kids, culture, and the community

Program Overview

Connecting Kids and Culture provides a culturally enriching educational opportunity for elementary students (kindergarten through fifth grade) and is made possible by contributions from the Principal Charity Classic©. The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines and Bravo Greater Des Moines (Bravo) combined contributions from the event to fund Connecting Kids and Culture.

Connecting Kids and Culture provides transportation and/or admissions fees for elementary students to educational experiences outside the classroom. In addition, this program will directly align community-based arts and cultural learning experiences to school district curriculum objectives and provide opportunities for educators to bring local arts and cultural experiences into their schools.

Allocations from the Connecting Kids and Culture Fund are be awarded to private, parochial and public elementary schools and school districts in Polk and Dallas counties in order to meet the overall goal - that every kindergarten through fifth grade student in these counties experience local arts and cultural programming a minimum of one additional time per school year.

Program Features

Connecting Kids and Culture eliminates two major barriers. The program:

· Directly links community-based arts and cultural experiential learning to kindergarten through fifth grade curriculum standards for students in Polk and Dallas counties, and

· Funds transportation, admission fees and/or in-classroom arts and cultural learning experiences.

Every eligible school or school district will receive funding based on $3.50 for every student for:

1. Transportation and/or admissions fees to and from a Greater Des Moines community-based arts and/or cultural field experience, and/or

2. Costs to bring a Greater Des Moines community-based nonprofit arts and cultural experience into the classroom.

Aligned curriculum for field experiences is available at www.connectingkidsandculture.org. The Web site provides information on how cultural organization field experience opportunities match with school district curriculum objectives, how to access funding and transportation contact information.

Eligibility & Requirements

School districts and private schools serving students in kindergarten through fifth grade in Dallas and Polk counties are eligible for the funding from the Connecting Kids and Culture Fund administered by the Community Foundation. This learning experience can take place in the classroom or at a Greater Des Moines community-based arts and/or cultural venue. For purposes of this funding, the definition of an arts and cultural organization is that their primary purpose is for the education, enlightenment and entertainment of the public through the production, presentation, exhibition, advancement or preservation of art, science, music, theater, dance, zoology, botany, natural history or cultural history.

In order to participate in Connecting Kids and Culture, schools and school districts must agree to the following:

1. Sign a grant agreement with the Community Foundation that states the funds will be used to carry out the objective of the program that every kindergarten through fifth grade student in Polk and Dallas counties will experience an annual local arts and cultural programming a minimum of one time.

2. Maintain accurate financial records, supporting documents and statistical records that are pertinent to the funds received and submit a status and final report on the use of funding to the Community Foundation.

For more information regarding Connecting Kids and Culture, contact Dan Raedeker at the Community Foundation at 515.244.0340 or MD Isley at Bravo Greater Des Moines at 515.286.4976.