Big Yellow School Bus

Big Yellow School Bus (BYSB) provides grants of up to $500 to support arts learning in the school. To qualify for this funding, schools must plan an in-person arts and cultural field trip with an arts and culture organization in Rhode Island.
Award Amount: Up to $500 to support the cost of field trip. 
Who can apply: Rhode Island schools or school-affiliated non-profit organizations (e.g., PTO/PTA, diocese).
Grant Opens: Sept. 1, 2025, rolling deadline.
Grant: Currently closed. We have distributed all the funds available for the 2024-25 school year.

Requirements and FAQs

• Schools may apply for grants of up to $500 to support in-person arts and cultural field trips.
• Field trips must take place at a Rhode Island arts or cultural organization.
• This program does not fund field trips to see touring productions of non-Rhode Island based artists or arts groups.
• Field trip activities need to take place by June 30, 2025.
• Maximum of two 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 (e.g. PGO/PGE).
• Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis.Incomplete applications may be returned thus affecting your first-come, first-served status.
• The grants are awarded to schools or school-affiliated non-profit organizations (e.g. PTO/PTA, diocese).
• This is a reimbursement grant. If awarded a BYSB grant, funds will be paid to the authorized* school vendor (e.g. school department or city or town), school, or school-affiliated non-profit organization at the end of the school year, often after the field trip has taken place. The grant invoice will be submitted in the spring. Once the invoice is submitted, allow 8-12 weeks for payment.
• It is the school’s responsibility to pay for any field trip admission fees and/or transportation costs directly to the appropriate vendor. 

*An authorized school vendor has been approved with the state of Rhode Island Ocean State Procures (OSP) system. Payments are only processed once active vendor status with OSP system 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.

Questions about your grant? Please contact the RISCA Grants Program Manager.