KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — The Lake County Rural Arts Initiative, or LCRAI, is excited to announce the next round of the Teacher Art Grant Fund.

Thanks to generous contributions from the Lake County Wine Alliance, Lake County’s chapter of 100+ Women Strong, individual donors and corporate sponsors, the award amount for this round has been increased from $100 to $200 per teacher.

The “We Love Teachers” art grant is open to any educator serving transitional kindergarten through 12th grade students in a Lake County public or charter school (not privately funded).

Some teachers use these funds to purchase basic art supplies for their students, including crayons, construction paper, paint and glue. Others invest in art-related equipment for the classroom and specialized project-based supplies.

Grant applications will be available on the LCRAI website and will be accepted until March 14 or until the available funds are depleted.

Funds will be distributed via Venmo or PayPal by April 30.

Founded in February 2018, LCRAI aims to promote Lake County as an arts and culture destination.

Past initiatives have included mural projects around the lake, public art installations, and the sponsorship of Teacher Art Grants. This year, the board has committed to focusing on art integration in schools, fully supporting the grant program.

Research indicates that when children and teens engage in the arts, their self-esteem and academic performance across all subjects improve.

Since launching the grant program, LCRAI has fulfilled 542 grant requests, providing nearly $55,000 directly to Lake County classrooms.

The all-volunteer board works diligently with minimal overhead costs, ensuring that donations go directly to funding as many art integration grants as possible.

To learn more about LCRAI, apply for the Teacher Art Supply Grant, or make a donation, please visit the organization’s website, LCRAI.org, or Facebook page at Facebook.com/ruralartsinitiative.

LCRAI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible.