NYC Council Announces Increased Arts Funding in New York City Public Schools

NEW YORK, NY (03/30/2026) (readMedia)-- Today, the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable joined with Education Chair Council Member Dinowitz, Bronx Arts Ensemble, Dancing Classrooms, NYC Public Schools, and students celebrated the success of the Support for Arts Instruction citywide initiative: a $4.05 million dollar investment to provide every public school student with a rich, diverse arts education throughout New York City. This is the fourth year of initiative – and the first year at $4.05 Million. A recording of the event can be found on the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable's YouTube channel.

View images from the event here.

This school-based initiative supports New York State standards-based arts instruction programs with a focus on increasing access to the arts and supporting pathways for sequential arts learning. 210 schools were each awarded $18,809. P.S. 016 Wakefield receives funding through the initiative for arts programming with Bronx Arts Ensemble.

"New York City Arts in Education Roundtable is thrilled to stand again with the New York City Council in support of the Support for Arts Instruction initiative," said Kimberly Olsen, executive director of New York City Arts in Education Roundtable. "Arts education is transformative for students. It not only helps them explore their creativity, it leads to better academic outcomes, mental health, and attendance rates. The arts reach and engage all students in ways that other subjects can not. And most importantly, arts education has been and continues to be a critical lifeline for students. We look forward to building on this foundation and pushing for arts education for all!"

"At PS 16, our art programs and artist-in-residence experiences give students voice, choice, and ownership of their learning. When children are empowered to express themselves creatively, they build confidence, leadership, and the social-emotional skills needed to succeed both in and beyond the classroom," said community School Director at PS 016.

"The art program at PS 16 has fostered positive social changes for students in class 1-208 by helping them disconnect from technology, strengthen creativity, and build meaningful connections through student-led conversation and collaboration," said art teacher Helen Marro.

"The City Council's continued investment in equitable arts education-especially through the Support for Arts Instruction Initiative-is critical to ensuring every NYC student receives the well-rounded education they deserve. This funding expands access to the joy and connection of Dancing Classrooms' programs, helping more students become engaged learners and experience success at school," said Eve Wolff, Executive Director, Dancing Classrooms.

"Over the past 25 years, Bronx Arts Ensemble has provided multiple Bronx Public Schools with high quality arts education programs. We believe that every Bronx student should have a direct relationship with the arts in every Bronx school.During the past 15 years, we have built a strong and long lasting partnership with PS 16, providing our professionally trained Teaching Artists to instruct a wide range of after-school and in-school programming to the school, including courses in Chorus, Latin Dance, Hip Hop, African Drumming, Theater and Visual Arts. Currently, Bronx Arts Ensemble is providing the school with arts education programs through an afterschool arts grant provided by Bronx Council Member Eric Dinowitz and the "Support for Arts Instruction" citywide initiative launched by NYC Dept. of Education's Arts Office. Bronx Arts Ensemble's service to the Bronx is an investment in its future. We are dedicated to nurturing the next generation of artists, audiences, and creative thinkers, and to ensuring that the arts are a vital and accessible asset for years to come", said Judith Insell, Executive Director of Bronx Arts Ensemble.

Schools were identified and selected by program partners at the New York City Council, NYC Public Schools Arts Office, and NYC Arts in Education Roundtable with the intention to expand access to supplemental arts instruction across the five boroughs and build new partnerships between schools and local cultural organizations. Schools were selected by these partners based on several factors including geographic region, school enrollment rates, and historic levels of access to arts education programming. Find the full list of schools funded here.

Last year, the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable released a report about the success of the initiative. The report found:

• 99% of schools agree the initiative helped increase access to arts education at their school.
• 98% of schools agree the initiative helped increase student achievement in the arts.
• 98% of schools agree that this project helped students achieve social and developmental goals.
• 97% of schools agree that this project helped support student mental health.
• 99% of schools agree that this project helped increase engagement within the school community.