As part of its commitment to increase access to quality arts education for low-income families, the Vermont Arts Council (VAC) designed a grant program to support classroom based arts activities that benefit at-risk children in kindergarten and preschools. Through its Head Start Arts Integration Grant, VAC funds partnerships between arts organizations and Vermont’s seven Head Start regional programs, which, with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, work with schools and families to foster the cognitive, emotional and physical development of low-income children five years old and younger. Grant awards of up to $4,000 enable arts organizations to bring mentors from VAC’s Teaching Artist Roster into the classroom to help teachers integrate the arts into their lesson plans in ways that realize the social and learning objectives (spanning five developmental domains) of the Head Start program. For example, a teaching artist may collaborate with a classroom teacher to integrate concepts around phonological awareness through songwriting and singing activities. VAC Education Programs Manager Troy Hickman is available to provide more information about the program.