Explore Oklahoma 2024 - 2025 Application

The Foundation for Tulsa Schools provides funding of up to $500 for transportation to Tulsa Public Schools through our Explore Oklahoma Grant Program. Prior approval from the school principal is required. Each teacher is eligible to receive this grant one time each school year.


Teachers will be notified by the Foundation of their funding decision within two weeks of application. (Applications are reviewed on the 1st & 3rd Wednesday of the month). Notification will include instruction on how to make all needed transportation arrangements/scheduling.

Questions? Please contact Brena Meadows Thrash at brena@foundationfortulsaschools.org or at (918)746-6605.

Explore Oklahoma Application FY 25

  • Date Format: MM slash DD slash YYYY
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  • Project Elf Field Trip Support

The Experience

Tulsa is one of a handful of cities across the nation participating in the Kennedy Center’s Any Given Child program. Through partnership with local performance groups, museums, and galleries, we ensure that Tulsa students have at least ten live arts experiences by the time they reach high school.

The Three Layers of Any Given Child-Tulsa

Layer 1: Live Arts Experiences

Partner Organization provide live arts experiences for all students in a single grade level, regardless of which school they attend.

  • Kindergarten: Theater Performance (Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust)
  • 1st Grade: Museum/Teaching artist visit (Gilcrease Museum)
  • 2nd Grade: Opera Performance (Tulsa Opera)
  • 3rd Grade: Museum visit (Philbrook Museum of Art)
  • 4th Grade: Two Music Performances (Chamber Music Tulsa and Tulsa Symphony Orchestra)
  • 5th Grade: Ballet Performance (Tulsa Ballet)
  • 6th Grade: Gallery visit (Living Arts, TCC Center for Creativity, 108 Contemporary, Tulsa Foundation for Architecture)
  • 7th Grade: Dance Performance (Choregus Productions)
  • 8th Grade: Museum visit (Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art)

Layer 2: Arts Integration

Teachers work collaboratively with the arts partner organizations to create lesson plans and field trip guides that bring the arts into classroom learning. Additionally, teachers are provided with professional development opportunities that give them the skills necessary to use the arts as a vehicle for learning in the core content areas.

Layer 3: Arts for Art’s Sake

Any Given Child-Tulsa advocates for additional arts instruction by certified specialists with learning goals centered around the fine arts discipline exclusively. 

Our Generous Donors

Our Partners

Any Given Child-Tulsa exists as a collaborative effort to ensure that EVERY child enrolled in Tulsa Public Schools grades K-8 receives arts education as part of the classroom experience.  We are grateful to the following partners for their efforts in providing experiential opportunities for our students.

 

Staff

Moises Echeverria

             President and CEO               (918) 746-6604

Brena Meadows Thrash

Director of Operations & Programs
(918) 746-6605

Annabelle Elliott

Manager of Development & Community Partnerships
(918) 746-6602

Margaret Laprarie

Fine Arts Coordinator

The Foundation works closely with Tulsa Public Schools to provide district-wide strategic funding support to advance the goals and vision of district’s five-year strategic plan “Pathways to Opportunity.”

Demographics/Facts

  • There are 78 learning communities within Tulsa Public Schools
    • 45 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, 9 high schools, 7 alternative schools, 1 virtual school, and  6 district-authorized charter schools
  • Students come from 62 countries and speak 72 different languages and dialects
  • 80% of students are economically disadvantaged
  • 36% of students are multilingual language learners
  • 13% of students have disabilities
  • 11% of our students are gifted and talented

Special Programs

  • Tulsa Engineering Academy – Memorial High School
  • Agricultural Education – Webster High School
  • Digital Media & Broadcasting– Webster High School
  • AP Capstone Program– Edison Preparatory High School
  • Culinary, Hospitality, Health & Human Performance– Hale High School
  • Construction Program– Hale High School
  • International Baccalaureate Program– Booker T. Washington High School
  • Aerospace Academy– Tulsa Tech
  • Aerospace Mechanic Program– East Central