The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces a request for proposals to implement mentoring programs for individuals with disabilities. This project is being supported by the U.S. Dept. of Education and the National Endowment for the Arts. Proposals must be received by January 6, 2003, may include a request for between $1,000 and $15,000 in support, and are for projects to be executed between January 2003 and December 2003.
Mission: To support arts and arts service organization in creating experiential education opportunities through mentoring for individuals with disabilities interested in pursuing careers in the arts.
CAIM Project Intent: Through the CAIM project arts organizations will offer individuals and students with disabilities, who are interested in exploring or advancing their careers in the arts, the opportunity to work in a professional arts or arts service environment and be mentored by a working arts professional. CAIM projects will create opportunities for the individual with a disability to partake in professional development opportunities, career enhancement opportunities, and to build experiences and resume credit which enhance their potential for future competitive employment in a career in the arts. These experiences can be in any field of the arts including but not limited to:
Administrative: development, marketing, education, advertising, human resources, information systems/technology, retail operations, special events, box office, and programming.
Production: stage management, stage crew, construction, directing, choreographing, design, museum practices including research, collections, management, and conservation.
Design/Arts: visual arts, exhibitions, facility design, costuming, sets, props, lights, sound, painting, film, graphics and multi-media.
Performance: dancer, actor, and musician.
Qualifying Art Organizations must:
- Be a tax-exempt nonprofit 501-C-3 cultural arts organization, cultural arts service organization or a state/local government arts agency.
- Identify a full-time employee of the organization to mentor the individual with a disability.
- Select a qualified individual with a disability to be mentored (definition of "qualified" below).
- Complete and return an application including a budget which accounts for the amount requested.
- Organizations may request from $1000 up to $15,000 in support for a CAIM project. No matching funds are required but organizations are encouraged to supplement their CAIM project with other funds.
- Experiential education mentoring projects may be up to nine months long but must be at least one semester long (approx. 4 months), 15 to 40 hours a week, and occur between January 2003 and December 2003.
- Submit a mid-term report within 90 days of receipt of funds.
- Submit a final report including completed evaluation tools provided by the Kennedy Center within 30 days of the completion of the CAIM project.
Qualifying Individuals With A Disability:
Organizations may consider people of all ages (18 years or older.)
Students with disabilities must:
- Be undergraduate or graduate students, or within 2 years of graduation
- With any major (i.e. business, education, theater, English, performance, fine arts, graphic arts, etc.)
- Have a documented disability (Documentation of a disability includes but is not limited to letter or other documentation from a vocational rehabilitation agency, college or university office of disability services or a physician.)
- Be a U.S. Citizen or have a right-to-work permit
- Have a C+ G.P.A. (or higher)
Or
Non-students with disabilities must:
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Have a documented disability
- Be a U.S. Citizen or have a right to work permit
- Have three years of successful work and/or training experience in the arts (a combination would be accepted)
- Have demonstrated experience in the arts
Eligible activities for funding include but are not limited to stipends for the individual with a disability to participate in the project, auxiliary aids and accommodations necessary for the interns successful participation in the internship program, and related expenses. Ineligible activities include commercial (for profit) enterprises or activities, general office equipment, travel, relocation costs.
HOW TO APPLY:
You must fill out an application form. Email your request for an application to: access@kennedy-center.org
Be sure that you put "CAIM Application Request" in the subject field, and please indicate in the email whether you would like the application emailed to you as an attachment (PDF file), faxed to you or mailed to you.
DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF PROPOSALS
Completed applications must be received by close of business on January 6, 2003 and may be submitted by:
Mail: Accessibility Program
The Kennedy Center
P.O. Box 10808
Arlington, Virginia, 22210.
Applicants will be notified of whether or not they have received funding by February 16, 2003.
Projects must be completed by December 31, 2003.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
The John F. Kennedy Center Accessibility Program by:
Phone: (202) 416-8727
Fax: (202) 416-8802
TTY: (202) 416-8728
Email: access@kennedy-center.org
CAIM is an outgrowth of the recommendation to increase opportunities for people with disabilities to pursue careers in the arts through mentoring from the National Forum on Careers in the Arts held in June of 1998 at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of Education, US Department of Health and Human Services, the Social Security Administration.
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