AthFest Educates will once again award its annual grants for arts education for local K-12 students. The application period for grants opened July 7th for the 2025-2026 school year. Grant applications will be accepted through August 25^th and are available for teachers and community educators, nonprofit organizations, public schools or local or state government agencies serving Clarke County School District K-12 students.

There are three categories for grants. Teachers, community educators and youth development professionals can apply for: grants for music and arts based non-consumable equipment, such as instruments and audio/visual equipment; arts programs and experiences for students; or music and arts-based professional development for educators and/or youth development specialists. Applicants may request up to $5,000 for their project.

Awards will be announced in September. Educators interested in grants for the 2025-2026 school year for projects and experiences that use music and arts to develop and deepen young people’s understanding of core subject areas like math, science, social studies and language arts are encouraged to apply along with music and art teachers. 

AthFest Educates Executive Director, Mary Joyce, says, “Local support of arts education is more important than ever these days, with budget cuts creating challenges for educators everywhere. We’re so thankful to be able to provide this funding and support for arts education in Athens. This is only possible due to the community’s sustained support through donations and participation in our fundraising events. The last several AthFest Music & Arts Festivals and AthHalf Half Marathons have been resounding successes, with so many local community members and businesses not only attending, but also making individual contributions to our mission. We are honored to be able to funnel the community’s support for arts education into local educator’s efforts to nurture the next generation of Athens musicians and artists”. 

To date, AthFest Educates has given over $685,000 in grants for arts education in Athens. More information and applications are online at https://athfesteducates.org/grants/apply-for-a-grant/ and questions can be directed to Mary Joyce at [email protected] or (706) 548-1973.