First Year Teacher Grants
Supporting Arts Education Access
The Texas Cultural Trust recognizes the critical importance of providing quality arts education to every child. The First Year Teacher Grant is designed to support highly qualified arts teachers in providing quality arts education access to Title I, rural, low arts access communities.
The First Year Teacher Grant will award grantees a one-time grant in the amount of $1,500. This grant is intended to help alleviate costs associated with completing the first year as a teacher. These grants can fund professional development, classroom enrichment, school supplies, field trips, and additional resources to enhance the quality of arts education.
The annual grant application window is NOW OPEN (July 1 – August 15).
Download Grant Summary Download Grant Application Questions
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be entering their first year as a public school teacher; under contract with a rural, Title I campus; and certified as an arts educator. Priority is given to teachers serving rural, low arts access areas.
Past Grantees
2023-2024 Grantees
$12,000 in First Year Teacher Grants were awarded for the 2023-2024 term. The recipients of the award are:
- Marvin McLean, Alief ISD
- Chantelle Mills, Flour Bluff ISD
- Jazlyn G. Pintar, Killeen ISD
- Jessenia Reyna, Ingleside ISD
- Matthew Roy Rodriguez, Harlingen Consolidated ISD
- Jeremy Rooks, Fort Worth ISD
- Carla Santillana, Pearsall ISD
- Lindsey Surles, Pflugerville ISD
2022-2023 Grantees
$13,500 in First Year Teacher Grants were awarded for the 2022-2023 term. The recipients of the award are:
- Raul Arita, New Caney ISD
- Allen Daniel, Gruver ISD
- Alexis DiSimone, Manor ISD
- Matthew Garcia-Perez, Bastrop ISD
- Thomas Gonzalez, Brownfield ISD
- Jazmin Gonzalez, Castleberry ISD
- Jessica Martinez, Elgin ISD
- Norma Perez, Galena Park ISD
- Vivian Raquel Schmidt Ramirez, Del Valle ISD
2021-2022 Grantees
$15,000 in First Year Teacher Grants were awarded for the 2021-2022 term. The recipients of the award are:
- McKenna King, Bastrop ISD
- Rhiannon Laxalt, Denton ISD
- Juan Leyva, Del Valle ISD
- Maura Navarrete Bojalil, Southwest ISD
- Andrea Rodriguez, Southwest ISD
- Sophia Salazar, Sharyland ISD
- Maria Sanchez, Bastrop ISD
- Victoria Tristan, Slaton ISD
- Johanna Villarreal, Edinburg ISD
- Kate Wilson, Corpus Christi ISD
2020-2021 Grantees
$21,000 in First Year Teacher Grants were awarded for the 2020-2021 term. The recipients of the award are:
- Andrea Aguirre, El Paso ISD
- Jessica Brown, Waco ISD
- Heather Brown, Bastrop ISD
- Marcus Cardenas, Irving ISD
- Rebecca East, Austin ISD
- Alessandria Garza, Manor ISD
- Valeria Gulino, Lake Dallas ISD
- Ana Leal, San Antonio ISD
- Marsalis Mahome, Bastrop ISD
- Diamante Martinez, Del Valle ISD
- Rachel Militzer, Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD
- Stephanie Rangel, Manor ISD
- Trina Simon, Manor ISD
- Sara Trogdon, Marble Falls ISD
2019-2020 Grantees
$9,000 in First Year Teacher Grants were awarded for the 2019-2020 term. The recipients of the award are:
- Christian Clark, La Grange ISD
- Moises Correa, Pflugerville ISD
- Danielle Gines, Pflugerville ISD
- Nicholas Nunley, Crowley ISD
- Christian Smith, North East ISD
- Andrew Young, Manor ISD