TICKET TO RIDE GRANT - Not currently available

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Ticket to Ride provides funding to defray the cost of travel for Maine schools wishing to visit Maine arts venues and events as part of a well-rounded curriculum. The goals of the travel should support student learning and be aligned with the visual and/or performing arts standards. Applications are accepted throughout the year. Funding will be made available approximately one month after an application is submitted. Schools may apply more than once a year as long as they are applying to attend a different event, bringing a different student population, AND have not expended their eligible amount. Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis with an open deadline.

Any PK-12 school in Maine with a documented free and reduced lunch student population between 30 and 49 percent is eligible to receive support of up to $300 each school year. Any PK-12 school population of 50 percent or greater is eligible to receive up to $500 per school year. Schools are welcome to use Ticket to Ride funds in combination with transportation funds that may be available from individual Maine arts venues and events or other sources.

Eligibility Requirements

All applicants must have an active Maine Arts Commission account and current Vendor Code to receive funding. An organization is eligible to apply if they meet all of the following criteria at the time of application:

• Is a public school district in the state of Maine.

• Is in compliance with Final Reports required by the Maine Arts Commission for previous awards.

Award Restrictions

A school must apply through its school district. All paperwork must be conducted through the Superintendent’s offices. Communications and funds will go directly to the district to then be delivered to the applying school. The Maine Arts Commission will not contract directly with individual schools.

Ineligible Expenses: Funds may only be used to defray the cost of student transportation to and from an arts venue. Ticket to Ride funds may not be used for other purposes or to replace existing transportation funds in school budgets.

Application Materials 

Incomplete applications will not be eligible for review. Once an application is started, the applicant may revisit it to add materials or change answers. This can be done up until the deadline. When the application is complete, the applicant must hit the ‘Submit’ button on the final page. This locks the application and makes it ready for review. All application materials must be submitted through the Grants Management System (GMS) and must contain:

Online - Fields within the Grants Portal that will need to be completed

• Complete answers to all narrative prompts (Required)

Uploads - Up to a total of 10 pieces of support materials uploaded through the Grants Portal

• NONE

Vendor Code – An applicant must have a current Vendor Code to receive award funds

• Your Vendor Code is a state assigned number that allows award payment processing. Please check your Maine Arts Commission User/Organization account to see if there is a number in the Vendor Code field. If the field is blank you will need to complete a Vendor Form with exactly the same name and contact information as used in the application. This must be provided to the agency prior to award notification and can be submitted through email, surface mail, or FAX. Please do not upload the Vendor Form as part of the application.The form can be downloaded from the Grants Help page.

School-specific application information for content fields:

• ‘Email’ – Should be the person with whom we will contact throughout the grant process
• ‘DUNS Number’ - Does not apply to school districts; just enter “1”
• ‘First Name’, ‘Last Name’ – Should be the contact person at the school
• ‘Contact Email’ – Should match ‘Email’ information
• ‘Address’, ‘City’, ‘State’, ‘Zip’, ‘Phone’ –Should be the district superintendent's office NOT the school

Application Questions

(To be completed in the GMS) (All character counts include spaces. 2,550 characters/page)

• Date of proposed trip
• Total cost of transportation for proposed trip
• Amount requested from Ticket to Ride (up to $300 or $500 based on free and reduced lunch %)
• Total number of students traveling
• Admission cost per student
• State of Maine Vendor Code for your school district. This is usually ten digits proceeded by VC (VC##########)
• Percentage of documented free and reduced lunch students at your school https://neo.maine.gov/DOE/neo/Nutrition/Reports/NutritionReports.aspx?reportPath=FreeAndReducedLunchReport
• Arts venue you are visiting (Max: 1,275 characters - about 175 words)
• Event you are attending at the venue (Max: 1,275 characters - about 175 words)
• Grade level(s) of students traveling (Max: 1,275 characters - about 175 words)
• Explain why you are taking this trip and how the learning experience addresses the Maine Visual and Performing Arts standards (or any other applicable standards) (Max: 1,275 characters - about 175 words)

Review Criteria

Submissions are reviewed on a non-competitive basis and will be awarded throughout the school year until all available funds have been dispersed.

Review Process

Completed applications will be awarded on a first come, first served basis and will be approved by the Maine Arts Commission's Director of Arts in Education upon receipt.

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Assistance

Agency staff are always here as a resource for you. We recommend contacting the correct staff person a minimum of two-weeks prior to submitting your application.

All Maine Arts Commission programs are accessible to people with disabilities. All programs funded by the Maine Arts Commission must also be accessible.

Grant information is available in large print format by request.