Arts Access Initiative
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
between
Young Audiences, Inc. of Houston,
Arts Access Initiative’s Backbone Organization
And
Campus: _____________________, Houston ISD
We welcome you to the Houston ISD K-8 Arts Access Initiative. This MOU sets forth the terms and understanding between your campus and Young Audiences, Inc. of Houston. If your campus is selected, this MOU
reflects your campus’s commitment to planning and implementation of the K-8 Arts Access Initiative (AAI) for
the following time periods:
• Mar. 11, 2016 – Aug. 7, 2016: Planning Period
• Aug. 8, 2016 – May 26, 2017: Implementation Period
The parties of this MOU agree to work together to ensure responsive leadership in the implementation of this
project, in order to give all Houston ISD students access to the arts in ways that are equitable, impactful, and
sustainable.
What are the Benefits of the K-8 Arts Access Initiative (AAI)?
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Literacy and Learning Initiative: Supports the district’s literacy initiatives by improving academic
achievement.
Out-of-School Time Creativity: Builds collaboration on the campus through shared arts experiences between artists, educators and students.
Student Engagement & Participation: Arts across the curriculum develop higher-level thinking skills, create opportunities for students to assume a leadership role, and encourage students to become active participants in their learning.
Cultural Awareness: Connects students to Houston’s cultural environment, as well as developing enthusiasm for learning.
Services to be provided by the Arts Access Initiative:
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Organize and align community resources to ensure equity of access to the arts for all your students.
Through the Creative Schools Plan, employ strategies for including arts education in your School Improvement Plan.
Support access to arts partnerships on your campus.
Provide technical assistance with programmatic implementation.
Connect your campus with arts resources to support teacher professional development with a specific focus on arts integration tools.
Disseminate arts resources that are available during instructional time and out-of-school time for your students’ families and communities from Houston’s organizations.
Award grant opportunities through the Arts Access Fund based on the campus’s initial and essential commitment of resources to the arts.
Services to be provided by Campus:
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Principal leadership – participation by principal in semi-annual Arts Leadership Circle meetings to design a
Creative School Plan that helps meet the campus’s academic needs and overall goals.
Provide a principal-appointed AAI Campus Liaison who will serve as an arts champion at the school, ensure successful coordination and implementation of the Creative Schools Plan, and attend quarterly meetings with fellow campuses.
Name and Title of Designated
Campus Liaison for AAI:
Telephone Number:
Email Address:
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Allot and fulfill a minimum of 6 hours of arts-inspired professional development training for all teachers and
campus staff. Three hours of AAI professional development training, co-developed by participating organizations, will be made available for free to AAI campuses through the initiative during district designated
pre-development days.
Commit to participating in all program evaluations and filling out the State-of-the-Arts Mirror worksheet on
an annual basis.
Provide annual funding of $5 - $10 per student from the school’s general fund in new funding allocations
for arts education activities to support community partnerships. The per-student allocation is not the only
factor considered for campus selection, but is seen a reflection of a campus’s willingness and capacity to
participate in this Initiative.
Campus Calculator:
# of Students
(Projected enrollment for 2015 – 2016)
Multiply by annual, per-student cash
allotment from campus
(list amt from $5 - $10)
x
Total cash amount pledged by
campus
=
Eligibility
The Arts Access Fund supports schools that have made initial and essential investments of resources in the
arts. To apply for a grant from the Fund, a school must:
• Sign and submit a copy of this MOU to the Arts Access Initiative by Friday, February 19, 2016;
• Be selected for participation in the Arts Access Initiative;
• Receive an AAI “State of the Arts” category of Emerging, Developing, or Strong for the 2015-16 school
year;
• Designate a principal appointed AAI Campus Liaison (above);
• Understand that the amount pledged by campus and grant amount awarded by Young Audiences of Houston, AAI’s backbone organization and fiscal agent, are to be used for the approved activities below; and
• Not reduce the number of students experiencing fine arts (music, visual arts, drama, or dance) taught by a
fine arts specialist from 2015-16 to 2016-17.
What types of activities are supported by the Arts Access Fund?
The Arts Access Fund from Young Audiences of Houston is allocated for strengthening community
partnerships at schools selected to participate in the Arts Access Initiative. As such, it can be used for
the following types of activities and materials delivered by AAI partnering organizations as part of your
Campus Creative Schools Plan.
• Performances, residencies, and workshops for students during school hours (on-campus or off-campus);
• Performances, residencies, and workshops for students in out-of-school time (on-campus only);
Arts Access Initiative, 4550 Post Oak Place, #230, Houston, Texas 77027, www.artsaccessinitiatve.org
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Young Audiences of Houston, Arts for Learning, a 501(c)(3) organization, is the backbone organization and fiscal agent for the Arts Access Initiative
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One-on-one or small group mentorships for teachers offered through AAI affiliated arts organizations.
What is not supported by the Arts Access Fund?
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Buses or any transportation;
Salary, stipend, or benefits for full-time, part-time, or hourly fine arts specialists employed by Houston ISD;
Art supplies or instruments for any class or program;
Projects that replace arts instruction provided by a classroom teacher or arts specialist;
Purchasing services from vendors who are not affiliated with the Arts Access Initiative and/or who are not
Houston ISD-approved vendors.
To claim your Arts Access Fund allocation:
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Once your campus is notified of its selection, the campus will need to create a “shopping cart” to outline the services rendered and follow the procedure to inform HISD Accounting to submit payment to
Young Audiences of Houston. Arts Access Initiative vendors may then invoice Young Audiences of Houston for expenses in accordance with your campus Creative Schools Plan.
If you can meet all of these responsibilities throughout the term identified above, please sign this Memorandum
of Understanding and return to Young Audiences, Inc. of Houston - Arts for Learning, Arts Access Initiative
Fiscal Agent, at deborah@yahouston.org, by February 19, 2016.
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Signature of Campus Principal
Arts Access Initiative
Date
For more information, please contact:
DEBORAH LUGO
Arts Access Initiative Director
(713) 520-9267
deborah@yahouston.org
Date
DOUGLAS TORRES-EDWARDS
Arts Access District Coordinator,
Innovative Curriculum Department, Houston ISD
(713) 556-6856
DTORRESE@houstonisd.org
Houston and the coalition between HISD and the Arts Access
Initiative are members of the Any Given Child program of the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Selected because of their demonstrated commitment to the improvement of
education in and through the arts, the community participates in
collaborative efforts to provide equity and access in arts education for all students.
Arts Access Initiative, 4550 Post Oak Place, #230, Houston, Texas 77027, www.artsaccessinitiatve.org
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Young Audiences of Houston, Arts for Learning, a 501(c)(3) organization, is the backbone organization and fiscal agent for the Arts Access Initiative