Out-of-School Community-based Arts Education Programs
William Penn Foundation supports out-of-school, community-based arts education programs for Philadelphia-area youth ages 5–18, focusing on equitable, youth-driven, and artist-led creative learning.
Funder: William Penn Foundation
Due Dates: October 22, 2026: Proposals due
Funding Amounts: $3 million total available; most competitive requests are under $450,000 (total over 3 years) per project
Summary: Supports out-of-school, community-based arts education for Philadelphia-area youth ages 5–18, prioritizing equitable access and youth-driven learning.
Key Information: Projects must serve primarily (75%+) low-income youth and be led by experienced teaching artists.
Description
This funding opportunity from the William Penn Foundation supports community-based, out-of-school arts education programs for youth ages 5–18 across the Philadelphia region. The grant aims to expand equitable, culturally relevant, and high-quality hands-on arts learning opportunities, especially for young people from low-income households who have limited access to such programs. Projects must be youth-centered and led by experienced teaching artists, empowering participants to take leadership roles in their creative learning.
The initiative is part of the Foundation’s broader goal to reach at least 75,000 youth by 2035 through both in-school and community-based arts education. Programs may focus on any artistic discipline (e.g., dance, design, folk arts, creative writing, media arts, music, theater, visual arts) and must offer activities outside regular school hours, including afterschool, weekends, school breaks, and summer. The Foundation encourages applications that demonstrate strong community partnerships, robust outreach, and measurable impact on youth development and engagement.
