Professional Learning Stipends for Teaching Artists.
The Creative Learning Network is excited to offer another rapid response opportunity for teaching artists in Southwestern PA: Professional Learning stipends are available to support the professional learning that teaching artists in Southwestern PA are pursuing during pandemic restrictions. The stipend provides $250 assistance for teaching artists to dedicate time (at least 3 hours) to develop in the following areas:
- Artistry
- Instruction
- Preparation & Planning
- Community
Teaching artists may:
- Register for a Professional Learning Opportunity that develops Artistry, Instruction, Preparation & Planning or Community and participate before the end of June 2021, or
- Let us know what you learned! Provide proof of participation in a past Professional Learning Opportunity that occurred between January 2020 and now.
The Creative Learning Network is supported by the Heinz Endowments and is led by Arts Ed Collaborative and Legacy Arts Project.
The Creative Learning Network wants to support as many teaching artists as we can but funds are limited so apply today!
Complete this 5-minute application to request a professional learning stipend.
Read the FAQs for more details about Professional Learning Stipends. Questions? Email us at creativelearningrapidresponse@gmail.com!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you may need to pay taxes on this income. Given each teaching artist’s varying circumstances, we cannot advise on individual tax matters. We recommend that you consult with a personal financial manager or tax accountant for further information. Please note that the payment is below the financial threshold for filing a 1099, therefore teaching artists will not receive tax documentation from the Creative Learning Network.
If you are a stipend recipient, you can view recordings of past sessions here. You should have been sent a password to view these recordings, but if not reach out to creativelearningrapidresponse@gmail.com.
If you receive the stipend, we ask that you complete/show evidence of having completed a minimum of three hours of professional learning and provide supporting documentation. This translates to at least two of the “Lunch Break with CLN” sessions hosted by APOST, which are 90 minutes in length each.
Eligible outside opportunities should either have taken place within 2020, whether past or upcoming, or should be taking place early in 2021. Reach out to creativelearningrapidresponse@gmail.com with questions.
No. We are providing one-time funding to as many teaching artists as possible through this initiative. However, when additional opportunities become available, we will announce via the Creative Learning Networks website and online communication channels, so check back often for updates.
A W9 and Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) are required by the IRS in order to distribute funds to selected teaching artists. We will collect this information after you’ve been notified of your selection. A check request will be issued after this paperwork has been received and your content has been submitted.
Once selected, teaching artists will need to submit documentation for the PL experience they have or plan to attend, as proof of their engagement in PL. They will also be required to fill out a brief post-survey in order to receive payment. All payments will be administered through Legacy Arts within a 20-day processing window from the date of approval.
You can apply by filling out our online application linked above. We highly recommend that you copy and paste all of your answers into a word processing application like Google Docs or Microsoft Word so that if there are technical issues, your answers will be saved. Once you have applied, a copy of your application will be emailed to you at the address you provide as confirmation of receipt of the application.
Yes, you are eligible. We do not disqualify anyone based on other sources of relief and want to continue to support teaching artists in our region, including those who contributed content to #ArtsLearningatHome!
$250 will be given to 200 teaching artists to pursue professional learning opportunities that help them build in areas of Artistry, Instruction, Preparation & Planning, and Community. Our goal is to select proposals equitably from teaching artists of different disciplines, neighborhoods, and backgrounds. While this is a distressed and stressful time for all, our priority through this initiative is to create equitable access for historically underrepresented artists in our community. It is our intention to grant the majority of funds to underrepresented teaching artists.
This includes:
- BIPOC – Black, Indigenous Artists of Color
- LGBTQIA+ Artists
- Early Career Artists (18-25) & Elder Artists (50 +)
- Artists living with Disabilities
Applications will be reviewed on a week-by-week basis. After review, qualifying applications will be selected for funding and applicants notified via email.
The Creative Learning Network Anchor is excited to announce another opportunity for teaching artists in Allegheny County: The CLRR Teaching Artist Professional Learning Experience! The Creative Learning Network is supported by the Heinz Endowments and is led by Arts Ed Collaborative, Legacy Arts Project and Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time.
Phase II of Creative Learning Rapid Response provides stipends and professional learning opportunities for teaching artists living and serving in Allegheny County. Stipends in the amount of $250 will be given to 200 teaching artists to pursue professional learning opportunities that help them build in areas of Artistry, Instruction, Preparation & Planning, and Community.
Unfortunately, due to limited funds and anticipated volume of applications, not every applicant will be funded. We encourage teaching artists to check back for additional opportunities which we hope to offer in the future through the Creative Learning Network.
We seek a variety of creative learning activities that will be curated in order to provide a wide array of content across multiple artistic disciplines for users to engage. Therefore, we ask that applicants limit themselves to identifying ONE of the artforms below, so that we may streamline our selection process. Please help us by selecting the artistic discipline that your work most directly and deeply aligns.
- Dance (dancers + choreographers; aerial, ballet, hip-hop, jazz, tap, etc.)
- Drama & Performance (directing, experimental, live action, playwriting, puppetry, tactical and site performance, etc.)
- Literary Arts (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, literature for children, criticism, graphic novels, journalism, arts writing, etc.)
- Media & Film (work that uses technology, aesthetics, storytelling, digital cultures, and so on; including but not limited to immersive design, interactive media, podcasts, virtual reality, web-based projects, animation, documentary, episodic, experimental, narrativ etc.)
- Music (composers + musicians; classical, contemporary, experimental, folk, instrumental, jazz, pop, world, etc.)
- Cultural Arts (work related to the continuity and evolution of a tradition and/or cultural heritage such as cultural dance, cultural music, oral expression, and traditional crafts, etc.)
- Visual Art & Craft (installation, painting, performance art, photography, sculpture, sound art, video,ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, metals, textiles, etc.)
The Creative Learning Network plans to run this initiative until all funds have been dispersed to support the maximum amount of teaching artists possible. It is also our goal to continue to procure funding that can be used to provide work opportunities for teaching artists throughout this crisis.
For the purposes of this initiative, we define a teaching artist as an artist who designs and implements creative learning opportunities for children and youth, through in-school or out-of-school time and summer learning environments, in partnership with community organizations, or in a home studio setting.
To be eligible, you must be able to answer “Yes” to the statements below. Please note that the Creative Learning Rapid Response team will make final eligibility determinations as needed.
- I am a teaching artist residing in Allegheny County that has at least two years of experience providing learning opportunities to young people in our community.
- I am 18 years of age or older.
- I can provide a W9 and Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) after I’ve been notified of selection.
- I am not a full-time employee, board member, or major donor of any of the Creative Learning Network partners: The Heinz Endowments, Arts Education Collaborative, APOST (Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time), Legacy Arts Project
