Champion Creatively Alive Children
Creative Leadership Grants 2013

Thank you for your interest in the Champion Creatively Alive Children (R) grant opportunity! The 2013 program provides grants for innovative, creative leadership team building within elementary schools. Apply now for the opportunity to receive a grant for your school. Each grant-winning school (up to 20 grants awarded) receives$2,500 and Crayola products valued at $1,000.
Grant Program
 Actual product assortment may vary.
Here's how you can get started now...

  • Form a collaborative team to plan innovative ways of infusing creativity throughout the school.
  • Brainstorm a leadership program that will enrich the creative capabilities and confidence within the school community.
  • Plan how and who will lead this collaborative effort.
  • Complete the application.
  • Submit your application by June 21, 2013 (principal must be NAESP member).
  • Every Early Bird application submitted before midnight on Monday, June 10 will receive a Crayola product Classpack(R).






In collaboration with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), Crayola offers up to 20 grants. The applications will only be accepted from principals who are members of NAESP. If you are not the principal, please collaborate with your school's leader to develop the plan and confirm that he/she is currently a member of NAESP. If not a member, go to NAESP.org to find out how to become a member.
Educators whose schools received this grant in 2012 will not be eligible to apply for a 2013-2014 grant. 2012 winners may apply again in 2014.
The National Art Education Association encourages their members to partner with their school's principal and colleagues to generate grant proposals.

Schools who received this grant in 2012 will not be eligible to apply for a 2013-2014 grant. Instead, we urge you to become a judge to help score new proposals. 2012 winners may apply again in 2014.
Applications should be sent to creativelyalive@crayola.com or faxed to 610-515-8781, Attn: Anita DeChellis. Applications will be accepted until 12:00 Midnight EST Friday, June 21, 2013.
Download your application today!
Review our Judging Rubric


Frequently Asked Questions


  • Briefly, what is the Champion Creatively Alive Children grant program?Up to 20 grants will be available from Crayola to help educators develop Creative Leadership teams and identify innovative, promising practices that inspire other educators to increase arts-infused education.    
  • What is the grant? The school will receive $2,500 and $1,000 worth of Crayola products to develop an arts-infused education focused Creative Leadership Team. 
  • When will the grants be awarded? The grants will be distributed in October 2013. Finalists are contacted in early October and if they submit the required W9 form and signed photo permission forms, they will be grant winners.
  • Do I need to complete the attached photo permission form now? The attached photo permission form is required from Finalists. Finalists will be notified in October 2013. Applicants must agree to obtain and submit signed photo permission forms for each student and faculty member, if they win. However the forms are only completed and collected from Finalists.   
  • What if my school does not have an art teacher? If the school does not have a certified Art Educator, the principal should collaborate with the person(s) designated within the school to teach the arts.
  • My principal is a member of the State affiliate association, but not the national (NAESP) - what do we do?   The principal must also be a national NAESP member. Nonmember principals can join now at www.naesp.org.   
  • What if my principal leaves during the 2013–2014 school year? The school's new principal should join NAESP.
  • Does the proposal have to focus on one of the "What if..." ideas outlined in the application? No, we encourage an original "what if..." that addresses your school's needs.
  • Does the application need to focus on developing a Creative Leadership Team? Yes. We look forward to the many innovative ways schools propose building the creative capacity of the school and increasing arts-infused education. Within the plan you could address specific needs and interests of your learning community including creating the team, crafting a common vision, charting a strategic plan, changing behaviors, building creative confidence, creative capacity building, embedding creativity into the school culture, peer observation and coaching, and using authentic assessment to document student achievement. What your Creative Leadership does and how you envision, implement, and assess the progress should be innovative!
  • What type of innovation is required? We urge that each grant application be original and not duplicate an idea that was funded in a prior year. The application changed in 2013 to emphasize creative leadership and capacity building so don’t rely on ideas from past grant winners as clues to funding future proposals. The new grants are less about a project and more about embedding a long-term commitment to arts-infused education and building creative teaching capacity.