This week, we're celebrating a Youth Arts Education Council alum who's building skills toward a future in game design and animation, digging into what new statewide data tells us about pay equity for arts workers, and pointing you toward an advocacy webinar ahead of National Arts in Education Week. Plus, a job opportunity for dance educators, and a few headlines worth your attention.
Coming soon: a save the date for a very special Arts Ed NJ celebration coming this fall!
Meet Anisa. A Youth Arts Education Council alum now studying game design and animation at Brookdale Community College, she's living proof of what self-advocacy and stepping outside your comfort zone can do. Catch her full story in this week's featured blog.
Americans for the Arts is hosting a webinar on August 13th to help build your advocacy toolkit ahead of National Arts in Education Week, September 13–19, 2026.
WHAT: Every Student, Every Community: National Arts in Education Week Advocacy Webinar
WHO: Hear from national and local experts, then get practical guidance on advocating at the school board and state level.
They'll also share tools, resources, and their federal agenda for PreK-12 and higher education, championing policies that support arts education and pushing back on those that would harm it.
Leave ready to advocate for making the arts accessible to "Every Student, Every Community.
Awards of up to $100,000 are available to support projects in which analysis of the Library’s music or creative arts-related digitized primary sources is central to learning about history, civics, and/or democracy at the middle and high school levels. Eligible organizations that have not received prior LHI funding directly from the Library of Congress may apply. Grant awardees who make sufficient progress toward agreed-upon goals may apply for an additional two years of funding, up to $100,000 per year.
Proposals are due Friday, September 18, 2026, at 2 pm ET
For more information about the application requirements and selection criteria, see the Notice of Funding Opportunity linked above. General questions relating to this Notice must be submitted via email to tps-grant@loc.gov no later than Monday, September 7. Technical questions must be submitted via email to tps-grant@loc.gov no later than Thursday, September 10. Library staff will be unable to answer questions submitted as comments on this post.
Register for Informational Webinars in July
Join Library of Congress staff for upcoming webinars about Lewis-Houghton Initiative grants by registering at the links below.
What ArtsPay NJ's Latest Findings Mean for the Arts Workforce
How can we build a thriving arts sector if the people who make it possible struggle to make a living? A thoughtful article by NJ State Arts Council Program Officer Diane Felcyn explores this question through the lens of ArtsPay NJ's latest findings, examining what fair compensation means for the future of our field.
Arts Ed NJ is proud to support ArtsPay NJ, New Jersey's statewide compensation and workforce study for the nonprofit arts sector. The second round of the survey found encouraging wage growth since 2023, while also revealing persistent challenges: overtime eligibility has remained unchanged, and pay gaps by gender and race have widened even as median salaries increased. Explore thearticle, the full report, and the interactive dashboard to better understand what the data tells us about the state of arts work in New Jersey.
Employment Opportunities
Union City Schools in Hudson County NJ is looking for a full time leave replacement from September-January. This position is for the dance teacher at Jose Marti STEM Academy, a public high-performing high school (grades 9-12). Classes range from beginner to advanced across various styles of dance. Please email mgaul@ucboe.us and cpennello@ucboe.us with your resume if interested!
