Big Yellow School Bus

Currently Closed.

Thank you for your interest in this grant program. We have distributed all the funds available for this school year. The program will reopen on Aug. 1 for the 2024-25 school year.

Big Yellow School Bus (BYSB) provides grants of $500 to support arts learning in the school. To qualify for this funding, schools must plan an in-person field trip with an arts and culture organization or an artist in Rhode Island.

Award Amount: $500 to support the cost of field trip.
Who can apply: Schools or school-affiliated nonprofit organizations (e.g., PTO/PTA, diocese)
Grant Opens: Jan. 15, 2024, rolling deadline.
Grant Closes: April 15, 2024

Requirements

• Due to the late grant opening for the 2023-24 school year, RISCA will accept retroactive applications for field trips that occurred during the period of Sept. 1, 2023 – Jan. 14, 2024. 
• Schools may apply for grants of $500 to support in-person arts and culture field trips. 
• Field trips must take place at a Rhode Island arts or cultural organization.
• Field trip activities need to take place by June 30, 2024.
• Maximum of two BYSB grants may be awarded per school per school year. Receiving a Big Yellow School Bus Grant does not preclude a school from applying to other RISCA grant programs in the same year such as Project Grants for Organizations and Project Grants in Education.
• Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first-served basis. Incomplete applications may be returned thus affecting first-come, first-served status.
• Grants are awarded to schools or school-affiliated nonprofit organizations (e.g., PTO/PTA, diocese).
• This is a reimbursement grant. Award payment will be sent after the field trips take place.
• If awarded a BYSB grant, funds will be sent to the designated approved vendor with Rhode Island’s Ocean State Procures (OSP)* system. For public schools, the designated vendor is often the school department or city or town. For other schools this may be schools or school-affiliated nonprofit organizations (e.g., PTO/PTA, diocese).
• Payments are only processed once active vendor status with OSP is confirmed.

Application Deadline and Notification

• The grant will remain open until April 15 or until all funds are awarded.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis in the order they were received. Notification about your application status will be sent by email via the online grant portal.