The Minnesota Comprehensive Arts Planning Program (CAPP) is a program of Perpich Center for Arts Education. The purpose of this legislatively-funded program is to support and assist a local school district’s arts planning team in creating a district-wide, three-year strategic arts plan. This plan addresses arts education policies, programs, and partnerships for students in the district and community. Since its inception in 1983, 206 school districts have participated in the CAPP program. CAPP success demonstrates that the effort of a broad-based district arts team can be essential to the development of a sound and sustainable plan for arts education.

• Initially, the CAPP process involves selecting co-chairs (K-12 district arts leaders) who then receive professional development to lead a local CAPP committee. Each selected arts area must have a co-chair to lead that arts area.
• Co-chairs identify district and community members with an active and wide-ranging interest in the arts and arts education within their school district for their committee. This CAPP committee has the responsibility to create a comprehensive arts education strategic plan.
• In year one (2025-2026), CAPP teams conduct a needs assessment and engage in a strategic planning process to design a district-wide, three-year arts education plan. This plan is then presented to and adopted by district administration and/or the district’s school board.
• In year two (2026-2027), CAPP sites implement the first year of their three-year plan and evaluate their progress.
• Formal support and assistance in the CAPP program for this cohort ends in the spring of 2027, but the CAPP committees will continue to meet for two more years (2027-2029) to implement the second and third years of their plan.

• Each CAPP district must designate a minimum of two co-chairs, with one co-chair representing each arts area addressed in their strategic planning.
• Co-chairs from the eight selected districts form a cohort to serve as peer-to-peer mentors throughout the two-year program. 
• The cohort of CAPP co-chairs, plus their district administrator, gather three times a year for professional development with the CAPP Specialist and other Perpich staff, as needed.
  • Full Day CAPP Kickoff – Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at Perpich Center
  • Full Day Winter Workshop – Monday, February 2, 2026 at Perpich Center (snow day Monday, February 9, 2026)
  • Virtual Workshop – early May, 2026
  • Full Day CAPP Workshop – August, 2026 at Perpich Center
  • Virtual Workshop – January, 2027
  • Full Day Spring Workshop – May, 2027 at Perpich Center
• Within each district, the CAPP Specialist leads two on-site workshops for the local CAPP Committee. This will happen in the fall of 2025 (strategic planning workshop) and the fall of 2026 (annual plan workshop).
• Throughout the program, CAPP co-chairs check-in regularly with the CAPP Specialist, virtually and/or in-person.

• In their CAPP application, each district will identify the specific K-12* arts area(s) they wish to address in their three-year strategic arts plan—dance, media arts, music, theater, and/or visual arts. The plan must address K-12* programming within the included arts area(s).
• The amount of the financial contract with each district is dependent upon the number of K-12* arts areas addressed in the three-year strategic arts plan: 
  • $2,500 – plan addresses one K-12* arts area
  • $3,500 – plan addresses two K-12* arts areas
  • $4,500 – plan addresses three to five K-12* arts areas 
  • This support is available for both the 2025-2026 school year AND the 2026-2027 school year of the 2025-2027 CAPP Cohort.
• This program is not a grant; rather it is a contract with four deliverables throughout the two years of the cohort. As such, money is not provided at the beginning of the program but is paid out  after the receipt of each program deliverable.

*K-12 indicates all grades that are served in the district must be addressed in the CAPP program. If the district only serves K-8 students, then the application will include K-8.

CAPP funds may be used for expenditures in the following categories

Substitutes, Stipends, Conferences 

• Substitutes for district CAPP committee members when that group meets during the school day.
• Substitutes for CAPP co-chairs to attend the scheduled cohort meetings at Perpich Center or virtual (up to 3 meetings/year).
• Stipends for co-chairs and/or committee members per district guidelines (for planning or meetings outside of the regular school day).
• Registration fees and other expenses to attend related state or national arts conferences, workshops, etc.
• Refreshments and/or lunch at CAPP meetings.

Marketing and Public Relations

• Expenses for videos and/or print materials related to CAPP work
• The design, printing and/or dissemination of information brochures, surveys, CAPP plan, etc.
• Printing and production of CAPP promotional items 
• Expenses related to the advocacy of CAPP and/or CAPP-sponsored arts events

Note: Additional hotel lodging and mileage reimbursement will be offered to co-chairs who must travel more than 50 miles one-way to attend the cohort meetings at Perpich Center (up to twice per year).

CAPP funds may NOT be used for:

• Equipment and/or materials (arts supplies, books, resources, instruments) for classroom or after school use
• Capital improvements  

Annual Written Reports

A written report must be submitted at the end of each fiscal year. 

• The Interim report (by June 1, 2026) is to include your three-year strategic arts plan, adopted by district administration and/or school board, and published and suitable for public dissemination.
• The Final report (by June 1, 2027) is to include a status report of accomplishments, lessons learned, and anticipated progress towards goals in the next two years of the strategic arts plan.

Failure to comply with program rules and processes may result in termination of the CAPP agreement and a return of monies received by the school district.

The following are the desired outcomes for CAPP sites. The local CAPP committee in each district determines strategies that help their schools and communities achieve these outcomes.

1. All students in grades K-8 meet the Arts standards in at least two arts areas; all students in grades 9-12 earn at least one credit sufficient to satisfy all of the Arts standards in one arts area. The curriculum for each arts area is comprehensive, standards-based, and student-centered.
2. A comprehensive assessment is undertaken to determine the needs and opportunities which will inform the three-year strategic arts plan.
3. A workable, sustainable three-year strategic arts plan is developed, specific to the district and community.
4. Collaborations and communications between district arts programming and the community are established and maintained.
5. Sustainable arts education leadership within the school district and community is established and maintained.
6. The impact and involvement of the CAPP committee itself is evaluated.

• Elevate and empower student leadership in arts programs (such as a student committee of arts supporters and student-designed performances and showcases).
• Publicly announce the Student of the Week artists through announcements, newsletters, social media, or bulletin boards. Celebrate their achievements and contributions to the arts community.
• Introduce a biannual meeting for The Arts PLC Chairs, STEAM Coordinators and Communications Manager with the purpose to create and edit a communications calendar to share student voice/work and to align with programming, events, and Arts Student-of the Month recognition.
• Create an arts calendar that includes a diverse range of fine arts events, such as visual arts exhibitions, musical performances, theater productions, workshops, and more.
• Create and organize a multi-arts Evening of the Arts event for the purpose of sharing smaller performances (scenes from the Spring play, ensemble performances, spoken word) and visual arts showcase to enhance collaboration between different arts areas, to provide community arts synergy, and to support fundraising.
• Develop an arts career pathway/exploration (career-focused experiences) for middle school and high school students.
• Improve alignment of class registration and class scheduling processes in regards to arts requirements.
• Analyze how to increase access to arts programming by collecting information regarding schedule and credit conflicts and communicating these conflicts to administration and counselors, and collecting data on current transportation opportunities and how it could benefit the after school arts programs.
• Conduct staff and student surveys to determine priorities for arts programming in the school district.
• Create short videos to advertise arts programs in the course catalog.
• Connect and build empowering arts partnerships within the community to strengthen the connection between arts organizations and the school district.
• Build a community-sponsored fund for the purchase of instruments.
• Look at inventory needs: band instruments, technology, document camera, projector to trace murals, drying rack, display cases for the school hallways, and band chairs. Work to get these items included for Capital Outlay and/or on curriculum review every 7 years.
• Integrate Dakota art and cultural elements into collaborative learning projects and mentorship activities. This involves incorporating Dakota art and cultural themes into existing curriculum, providing cultural competency training for staff, facilitating collaborative student projects, establishing mentorship programs with local Dakota artists, and organizing cultural events and celebrations.
• Establish a rotation of artists-in-residence experiences at each grade that focus on artists from diverse cultures and that align with each arts area.
• Create opportunities for arts enrichment outside the school day such as after school clubs and summer camps.