EdVestors, a Boston-based school improvement organization, awarded $537,700 in grants to over 35 nonprofits working with 63 Boston Public Schools (BPS) to support equitable, quality arts education for the 2025-2026 school year last week.
Since its inception in 2009, BPS Arts Expansion has increased the number of BPS students receiving arts education by nearly 17,000 annually, establishing Boston as a national leader in expanding access to arts education.
“I am very grateful for our enduring partnership with EdVestors and their unwavering commitment to ensuring that every BPS student has access to a vibrant arts education,” said Mary Skipper, Superintendent of Boston Public Schools. “Through BPS Arts Expansion, we’ve seen firsthand how quality arts instruction ignites creativity and fosters a deeper connection to learning. These grants are much more than funding, they represent an investment in our students’ potential and in the cultural richness of our school communities.”
The announcement of this year’s grants follows the recent annual BPS Citywide Arts Festival, which took place at City Hall Plaza at the end of June. The four-day event celebrated the importance of the arts in BPS and featured music, dance, and theater performances from nearly 1,100 students across the school district.
“For 16 years, BPS Arts Expansion has been a model for how cities can come together to ensure all students have access to the transformative power of the arts,” said Marinell Rousmaniere, President & CEO of EdVestors. “These new grants will continue to fuel the creativity, confidence, and connection that a robust arts education brings to students across Boston. As arts programs across the country face growing challenges, sustaining and expanding access to arts education is more important than ever. We stand with our partners, including BPS, the Mayor’s Office, and our incredible network of funders and nonprofit partners, who work tirelessly to ensure the arts remain a vital part of every student’s education.”
The positive impact of arts education goes beyond bringing out the creativity in students. Research has shown that arts education improves student engagement, including increasing attendance among chronically absent students. Students reported greater levels of belonging at school and engagement in learning when their school days included arts education.
BPS Arts Expansion brings together local foundations, the school district, arts organizations, higher education institutions, and the Mayor’s Office. Lead funders include the Barr Foundation, Catherine and Paul Buttenwieser Foundation, The Klarman Family Foundation, and the Linde Family Foundation.
In East Boston, schools that will take advantage of the latest round of funding for arts education include the McKay K-8 School, Bradley School, Umana K-8 Academy, and EBHS. Jamaica Plain schools with programs receiving the arts expansion funding for the coming school year include the English High School, Greater Egleston High School, the Hennigan K-8 School, the Curley K-8 School, the Boston Teachers Union K-8 School, the Manning School, Muniz Academy, and the JFK Elementary School. The Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Charlestown will also be receiving funding for I Learn America program.