Funding for Schools
Bring Phillip Shabazz to Your School: Funding Options for NC Educators
You see the value an author or teaching-artist experience could bring to your students.
Now comes the big question: How do we pay for it?
Your school’s existing arts or instructional budget may not be the only option.
North Carolina public and private schools may be able to access grants, local arts funding, education foundations, community partners, or other funding sources to help cover the cost of bringing Phillip Shabazz to your school.
Whether you’re a classroom teacher exploring the idea or an administrator ready to start planning, use this guide as a starting point for finding a funding path that works for your school.
Start With Local Grants and Community Funding
Some of the most accessible opportunities may be closer to home than you think.
Contact Your County Arts Council
The North Carolina Arts Council distributes Grassroots Arts Program funding through designated partners across the state. Schools can contact their county arts council to ask about available subgrants for artist residencies and other arts programming. Funding availability, amounts, eligibility, and deadlines vary by county.
Email artslearning@dncr.nc.gov and ask about the waitlist for 2027–28.
Your first step: Contact your local arts council and ask whether funding is currently available for a visiting teaching artist or school residency.
Check Your Local Education Foundation
Your school district or community may also have an education foundation offering grants for teachers or individual schools. These grants may support a visiting artist when the experience is connected to curriculum and student learning.
Search for your district's education foundation and look for teacher grants, classroom grants, enrichment grants, or arts-in-education opportunities.
Explore Community Foundations and Local Businesses
Affiliates and other regional foundations may offer grants supporting education, youth, and the arts. Depending on the program, the applicant may need to be a PTA, education foundation, or other eligible nonprofit organization rather than the school itself.
You can also explore community-giving programs offered by local businesses, banks, credit unions, and corporate foundations.
Tip: When asking about funding, don't simply ask whether an organization “funds the arts.” Explain that you're seeking support for an educational teaching-artist experience serving students at your school.
Photo Credit: Andrea Akin; Courtesy of Chatham Arts Council.2. Explore Title I and Title IV-A Funding
For eligible public schools, federal education funding may provide another path.
Could Title I Help Fund a Residency?
For a Title I school, a teaching-artist residency may be eligible for funding when it supports the school's documented needs and is incorporated into the appropriate schoolwide or targeted-assistance plan. The program should have a clear instructional purpose rather than function solely as entertainment.
For example, a Phillip Shabazz residency could be developed around goals such as:
Strengthening reading and writing skills through poetry
Integrating the arts into English Language Arts or social studies
Increasing student engagement
Supporting an identified School Improvement Plan goal
Before making any commitments, speak with your principal and district Title I/Federal Programs director to determine whether the program could qualify and what approval process is required. The funding document specifically recommends securing approval before booking the artist. Phillip Shabass - Funding
Don't Overlook Title IV-A
If Title I isn't the right fit, ask your district about Title IV, Part A: Student Support and Academic Enrichment funding.
Title IV-A supports well-rounded educational opportunities, which include the arts. Your district holds these funds, so your school will need to work with district leadership to determine whether a teaching-artist residency can be incorporated into its plan.
3. Make Your Funding Request Stronger
Finding a potential funding source is only half the puzzle. The next step is showing how Phillip's visit supports your students and your school's educational goals.
Before approaching your principal, district office, foundation, or potential funder, gather a few key details:
Who will participate? Identify the grade levels and approximate number of students.
What will students experience? Clearly define the type of residency, workshop, or educational experience you're requesting.
What educational goal does it support? Connect the experience to curriculum, your School Improvement Plan, or another documented student need whenever applicable.
What outcomes do you expect? Consider outcomes such as student writing, participation, engagement, or another measurable learning objective.
What will it cost? Include artist fees, travel, supplies, and other anticipated expenses.
For Title I requests specifically, the funding guidance recommends providing the artist's qualifications, dates, number of residency days, total cost, the SIP goal or needs-assessment finding being addressed, expected student outcomes, and an explanation of how the program supplements existing services.
The clearer the connection between Phillip's work, your students, and an identified educational goal, the easier it is for a decision-maker to understand what their funding will make possible.
4. Ready to Start Planning Phillip's Visit?
You don't necessarily need to have funding completely figured out before beginning the conversation.
Start by identifying the experience you'd like to provide for your students. From there, you can determine the approximate cost, explore the funding opportunities available to your school, and begin conversations with the appropriate administrators or community partners.
For public schools exploring federal funding, timing can also make a difference. The funding guide recommends planning while School Improvement Plans and Title I budgets are being developed, typically from late spring through August for the following school year. Mid-year funding may also be possible when unused funds are available and the district permits a plan or budget amendment. Phillip Shabass - Funding
Interested in bringing Phillip Shabazz to your school?
Reach out to discuss your students, grade levels, educational goals, and the type of experience you're considering. Having those details in hand can also give you the information you need to begin pursuing funding