Kyrene Students to Work with Professional Artists with Innovative Tempe Arts Grants

Posted September 2023

Kyrene students and teachers will benefit from additional professional expertise in their classrooms thanks to the City of Tempe’s Arts in Schools Grants. Several teachers will now have extra support in the classroom from professional artists working with the City of Tempe. Grant funds will also help purchase instruments and supplies for student theatre productions or art projects.

Each year, Kyrene teachers apply for Tempe Arts grants for supplies of up to $750. This year, Tempe also awarded educators $2,000 grants to pay for professional artists to take lessons to the next level. $1,500 will pay for the artist’s time, and $500 will be used to purchase supplies, which will remain at the school after the artist’s classroom time has ended. Educators who qualified for the grants include Kyrene fine arts, performing arts and music teachers. The funds will go towards projects and classrooms at four Kyrene schools for the 2023-24 school year.

Kyrene de los Niños

Art teacher Linda Sun was awarded funding that will provide Niños students with support from a professional artist in their art classes this school year.

Kyrene del Norte

Music teacher Scott Harnisch will use the grant to support Norte’s annual drama production.

C.I. Waggoner

Art teacher Cait Sabato will use the funds to purchase art supplies for Waggoner’s art classes.

Music teachers Whitney Cuzzolina and Jessica van Oostrom will use the grant to purchase ukuleles for Waggoner musicians.

Kyrene Middle School

Band director Selena Ryan was awarded funding that provides KMS with professional support for band students.

Chorus director and music teacher Hannah Kimball was awarded funding that provides KMS with a professional to train KMS chorus students’ voices.

Orchestra and Mariachi teacher Julio Contreras was awarded funding that will bring a professional artist to his classroom to help students with their craft.

In addition to providing an additional level of professional expertise, each artist will provide a 90-minute professional development session for teachers of their discipline in Kyrene. These grants promote continued learning and creative expression by enhancing the offerings Kyrene schools provide.

For more information about the arts in Kyrene, visit www.kyrene.org/finearts.