AFTA: Americans for the Arts (www.artsusa.org) - Americans for the Arts is the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. AFTA partners with local, state, and national arts organizations; government agencies; business leaders; individual philanthropists; educators; and funders throughout the country. They provide extensive arts industry research, and information and professional development opportunities for community arts leaders via specialized programs and services, including a content-rich website and an annual national convention. (Source: AFTA website)

AIE: Arts in Education - Students and teachers partner with artists and/or arts and cultural institutions to integrate the arts.

ArtSpaes: Arts in Education Roundtable for Special Populations (www.artspaes.org) – is a state-wide (NY) professional consortium of arts in education organizations and teaching artists who work with emotionally disturbed children, incarcerated youth and/or many other populations restricted in their movement and ability to participate in the arts.

ATA: Association of Teaching Artists (www.teachingartists.com) - a non-profit professional organization whose mission is to strengthen and serve Teaching Artists from all disciplines in New York State.

BOCES: Board of Cooperative Educational Services - A regional public education service organization providing quality, cost-effective educational services (including Arts in Education) to school districts in New York State.

*Want to find out more? Click here for additional information about BOCES and to find the organization that serves you! (N.B. This listing includes the 4 BOCES organizations within the Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, and Warren county service-area only.)

ESP: Empire State Partnership (www.espartsed.org) – A NYSCA program dedicated to identifying, supporting and developing promising practices in collaborations between cultural organizations and schools. The focus of the project is on the achievement of the New York State Learning Standards and contributing to the improvement of teaching and learning in New York Schools.

LCB: Local Capacity Building Program (www.adkartsined.org)- NYSCA funded regrant programs that support AIE partnerships between schools and cultural organizations or individual artists. Regional organizations promote the regrant program; coordinate application and panel review processes, and provide ongoing technical assistance and professional development to support the growth of funded and potential partnerships. LCB programs generally support projects that are small and represent first-time or new forays into arts in education on the part of the applicants. Funded projects must also focus on the integrated study of non-arts subjects and the arts, and all activities must occur within the school day.

NCLB: No Child Left Behind - The NCLB Act reauthorizes the Elementary Secondary Education Act and incorporates the following principles; increased accountability for States, school districts, and schools; greater choice for parents and students, particularly those attending low-performing schools; more flexibility for States and local educational agencies (LEAs) in the use of Federal education dollars; and a stronger emphasis on reading, especially for our youngest children. The NCLB Act strengthens Title I accountability by requiring States to implement statewide accountability systems covering all public schools and students. (Source: No Child Left Behind Website)

NEA: National Endowment for the Arts (www.arts.gov) - is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the largest national funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.

NYFA: New York Foundation for the Arts (www.nyfa.org) - helps artists turn inspiration into art by providing funding and support to individual artists and arts organizations. NYFS helps the arts to flourish in New York State as well as nationally.

NYSAAE: New York State Alliance for Arts Education (www.nysaae.org) - The New York State Alliance for Arts Education (NYSAAE) serves a broad constituency of arts advocates, including educators, artists, administrators of arts organizations, parents and interested citizens across the state. NYSAAE disseminates information about model programs, funding and standards of excellence, develops training models for constituent organizations, and advocates for arts education at the local, state and national levels.

NYSATA: New York State Art Teachers Association (www.nysata.org) - is a non-profit professional organization founded in 1948 for the purpose of advancing the cause of art education in New York State. NYSATA is made up of 10 Regions. Each region serves its own counties with a host of events and initiatives, and also represents the teachers and students within the region at meetings of the larger association.

NYSCA: The New York State Council on the Arts (www.nysca.org) – is a state agency dedicated to funding and support of the arts, artists and arts organizations in every discipline through grant opportunities. For more about NYSCA including information on its grants, program guidelines, past grants and arts resources click here.

NYSED: New York State Department of Education (www.nysed.gov) – The University of the State of New York (USNY) State Education Department sets education policies and standards throughout New York State’s schools and is the most complete, interconnected system of educational services in the United States. Note: The University of the State of New York (USNY) is not the same as The State University of New York (SUNY).)

PAE: Partners for Arts Education (www.arts4ed.org) - inspires learning and leadership for AIE in Central New York and throughout New York State. They provide funding and support to deepen and enrich educational experiences in and through the arts for students, teachers and artists. State-wide, the PAE administers the SAP and TAP grants.

PD: Professional Development - Professional development workshops provide constituents with tools to construct successful teacher/artist/student classroom partnerships. Quality offerings can help ensure continued support for arts in education programs and encourage school improvement in and through the arts.

RLN: Regional Leadership Network - are regional consortia throughout New York State, each comprised of school/arts organization partnerships funded by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). Each network provides support and professional development for teachers, artists, and administrators engaged in arts-in-education partnerships.

SOS: Special Opportunity Stipend (www.artsnorth.org) – The Arts Council for the Northern Adirondacks is the North Country administrative site for the Special Opportunities Stipend (SOS) program, a project of the New York Foundation for the Arts, designed to help individual artists of all disciplines take advantage of unique opportunities that may significantly benefit their work or career development.

TA: Teaching Artist - A Teaching Artist is a professional visual, performing, or literary artist who works in schools and in the community. The Teaching Artist may perform for the students and teachers, may work in long term or short-term residencies in classrooms or in a community setting, or may lead in program development through involvement in curricular planning and residencies with school partners. The Teaching Artist is an educator who brings the creative process into the classroom and the community.

TAP: Technical Assistance Program (www.arts4ed.org) - Grants for New York State Teaching Artists, Schools & Non-Profit Cultural Organizations. TAP awards can only be used for teaching artist fees, consultant fees, travel costs and professional development registration fees.