Teachers in hundreds of Kyrene School District arts, kindergarten and 1st grade classrooms will receive a portion of $210,000 from the Arizona Department of Education’s (ADE) Arts Consumable Grant. Grant funds will be allocated to Kyrene’s 61 arts teachers and 149 kindergarten and 1st grade teachers. They will each be awarded $1,000 to purchase arts consumables such as paints, brushes, sheet music for art projects in their classrooms and extra-curricular arts activities.

“Kyrene is honored to be selected as a recipient of the Arizona Department of Education’s Arts Consumables Grant for spring 2024,” said Kyrene Visual and Performing Arts Facilitator Julie Hackmann, who submitted the grant along with Brian Lockery, Kyrene Director of Finance.

The grant will expand and support Kyrene’s arts programming, projects, and integration in all schools. Middle school teachers of band, orchestra, choir, mariachi, drama, and visual arts; elementary specialists in music and visual arts; and all kindergarten and 1st grade teachers will collaborate with their campus principals to maximize the impact of these dollars for Kyrene students.

“Kyrene is proud to have outstanding visual and performing arts programs and this funding will ensure that students and teachers have access to high quality materials, resources, and tools,” Hackmann said.

Kyrene students in kindergarten through 5th grade participate in lessons designed by art specialists and music classes with instructors experienced in their craft. Arts teachers collaborate with educational professionals to integrate art into other core subjects as part of Kyrene’s dedication to creating a culture focused on the whole learner.

To learn more about Kyrene’s arts programs, visit www.kyrene.org/choice.