San Benito County Arts Council Awarded $250,000 Workforce Development Grant as part of Uplift Central Coast’s Catalyst Funding Program
The San Benito County Arts Council, along with lead partners, the Arts Council for Monterey County and the Arts Council Santa Cruz County, are excited to announce their selection as one of 36 grantees in a competitive grant program to advance economic resilience, sustainability and growth across the Central Coast. Administered by Uplift Central Coast, the Catalyst Predevelopment Funding Program is part of Governor Newsom’s California Jobs First Initiative, which utilizes a “regions-up” approach to supporting the development of good-paying jobs and investing in economic development in a variety of sectors.
The tri-county partnership will use Catalyst funding to identify and develop workforce pathways for visual and performing arts teachers in San Benito, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.
By engaging local school districts, county offices of education, community colleges, higher education institutions and artists in our region, this project will identify ways to train and upskill local artists and teachers to prepare them for “good jobs”….local jobs that include full-time salaries, health benefits and retirement.
This grant is timely in its response to the historic passage of Proposition 28, the Art and Music in the Schools Act, in November 2022 which sets aside approximately $1B annually for arts education in California public schools. While Prop 28 is a win for arts, education and student advocates, a recent SRI Education policy brief estimates that California needs an additional 5,457 VAPA teachers to keep up with Prop 28, and in our tri-county region we are facing a current shortage of 285 credentialed art teachers.
The Catalyst grant will bring local experts, artists and educators together to address this regional workforce need.
“Prop 28 has created sustainable funding for arts education and now is the time to deeply invest in this workforce.” said Jennifer Laine, Executive Director of the San Benito County Arts Council.
“By investing in these vital sectors, Uplift is helping to enhance quality of life for residents and drive lasting impact across the Central Coast,” said Bruce Stenslie, President & CEO of the Economic Development Collaborative (EDC).
With nearly $50 million in funding requested and only $9 million available, Uplift received an overwhelming number of highly competitive applications. To build a strong and diverse regional portfolio, Uplift selected 36 projects out of 136 proposals —providing funding for predevelopment activities such as feasibility studies, site assessments, and early-stage planning—while ensuring projects are well-positioned for future investment from private, governmental, and philanthropic sources.
“This announcement marks a moment of celebration, as these awarded projects represent not just funding, but the potential to catalyze meaningful change in our communities, now and well into the future,” said Melissa James, President & CEO of REACH.
If you would like to learn more or be involved in the VAPA Pipeline Project, please contact the SBC Arts Council at info@sanbenitoarts.org or 831.636.2787