For the 12th year in a row, the Jefferson Arts Council (JAC) is sponsoring grants for the “Teaching Arts Creatively” program. The grants are available to teachers in the Jefferson County Public School District for innovative arts projects above and beyond those provided in the regular classroom curriculum.

Teachers may apply for grants up to five hundred dollars for projects in the visual arts, music, theater, dance, photography, film and the literary arts. Past grants have funded projects including artist residencies, music and instrument purchases, additional arts supplies and transportation to cultural exhibits and performances.

Since the inception of the “Teaching Arts Creatively” program, JAC has funded over eighty thousand dollars in grants to local teachers. This year JAC received matching funding from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts allowing the organization to double the amount of grantable money over that of last year.

Teachers must submit grants applications found on the organization website at ahajc.org or by emailing the project coordinator at tishappignani@ gmail.com. The deadline for the grant applications is Nov. 1, 2014.