OFFICE OF NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS AND SERVICES MINISTERIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE: MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION (MEC)

Schools in Community Festivals Grant Program

Guidelines for festivals held before 30 June 2015

THEME: Youth Voice

Closing date: Friday 21 November 2014

Please read the Guidelines carefully before completing this Application Form ABOUT THIS PROGRAM The Schools in Community Festivals (SCF) Grant Program is administered by the Multicultural Education Committee (MEC) on behalf of the Minister for Education and Child Development. Funding is available to community organisations to engage schools and children’s services in the cultural life of festivals in our community by further developing or implementing a school/children’s service participation component. The participation component of the festival will focus on the theme ‘Youth Voice’. The SCF Grant Program encourages cross cultural interaction between communities and schools/children’s services and allows young people to participate in and enjoy the cultural richness of a variety of community festivals in South Australia. There are two aspects to the participation component of a festival. Aspect 1: preparatory activities prior to the community festival. The culture/s of the festival organising community to be shared with students from a cross section of schools/children’s services by cultural workers: these people visit schools/children’s services in a pre-festival period. Students participate in classroom activities conducted by cultural workers– e.g. writing (create recipes, food, poems, songs, cook books) arts & crafts (posters, paintings, drawings, photography) performing arts (music, dance, drama, and puppetry) or leisure (games, sports, recreational activities).

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OFFICE OF NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS AND SERVICES MINISTERIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE: MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION (MEC) Aspect 2: participation by students/children at the community festival. The material developed in workshops led by cultural workers prior to the festival is presented at the festival in conjunction with interactive workshops for students/children or performances by students/children. GRANT OBJECTIVES of the school/children’s service participation component: • To promote the sharing of cultural traditions in South Australia's

multicultural society by supporting the involvement of schools and children’s services in community festivals

• To promote cross cultural learning through active participation between schools, children’s services and culturally diverse communities in South Australia

• To promote the development of culturally and linguistically diverse communities by supporting community organisations to initiate, plan and share activities that reflect, renew and inspire further learning of their cultural heritage and practices

• To promote cultural diversity through school participation in arts related activities and practices.

GRANT OUTCOMES of the school/children’s service participation component: • Community Partnerships with schools and children’s services • Increased understanding of culturally diverse communities’ cultures,

including heritage, traditions, values and beliefs • Partnerships between schools/children’s services and communities

to communicate one’s culture through arts related activities and practices.

FESTIVALS Community Festivals will: • be a minimum of one day of celebrations with a variety of artistic

and cultural activities related to the above theme • reach a wide cross section of South Australia’s community

The School/children’s service Participation Component will: • involve students / children from a variety of linguistic and cultural

backgrounds WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY? Community organisations with a one day festival that has a School/children’s service Participation Component and that

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OFFICE OF NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS AND SERVICES MINISTERIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE: MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION (MEC) • have discussed the MEC Schools in Community Festivals Grant with

the MEC Office • are an incorporated community organisation registered in South

Australia or if not incorporated, will need to join with another incorporated body that will apply for the grant

• are a not-for-profit organisation • have an Australian Business Number (ABN). For any further assistance contact the office for Consumer & Business Affairs: Phone: 1300 138 918 or visit the website: www.ocba.sa.gov.au WHO IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO APPLY? Community organisations that: • have not complied with the funding conditions of a previous MEC

Grant • involve only the participation of the community’s ethnic school in

the community festival • hold a festival that is not open to a wide cross section of South

Australia’s community APPLICATION SUPPORT Please contact the MEC Executive Officer for further information or assistance in completing an application form. Contact details provided on the last page. FUNDING Funding is available for the School/children’s service Participation Component of the Festival only. The incorporated community organisation holding the community festival or sponsoring the community festival is responsible for the administration of the grant and meeting all grant conditions. A maximum of $3,500* is available for schools and children’s services to participate in community festivals. * Note: Subject to availability of funds by Office of Minister for Education and Child Development.

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OFFICE OF NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS AND SERVICES MINISTERIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE: MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION (MEC) Applicants should: • lodge an application at least four weeks prior to the festival taking

place • prior to lodging an application, make contact with as many schools

and children’s services as possible to obtain an indication of their interest in participating in the community festival

• ensure that there is a minimum of three (3) schools including at least one children’s services with students and children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds involved in the school participation component of the community festival

• explore support from languages associations, ethnic schools, and visual or performing arts groups within their community

• develop a clear cultural education program that includes a range of activities – see examples above

• ensure that a range of community members is involved in the creative process and implementation of the school participation component of the festival.

APPLICANTS WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED A MEC GRANT SHOULD: • identify at least two (2) new schools/children’s services that will

participate in the community festival in the current grant round • identify in the application how the school participation component of

the festival has been further developed and enhanced FUNDING WILL NOT BE PROVIDED FOR: • equipment or hire of equipment that will be used for purposes other

than the school participation component of the festival • musical instruments • costumes • outdoor cooking equipment • kitchen/cooking utensils • offsetting the general costs of the festival HOW TO INVOLVE SCHOOLS AND CHILDREN’S SERVICES The most effective way to involve students and children in your community festival is by directly approaching schools/ children’s services. Prior to lodging a grant application, it is important to make contact with

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OFFICE OF NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS AND SERVICES MINISTERIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE: MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION (MEC) these schools and children’s services to obtain an indication that they are interested in participating. This process will assist organising committees to: • liaise with schools and children’s services about the community

festival • involve a wide cross section of schools and children’s services in the

festival • effectively plan the project and accurately estimate the amount of

funds required. CULTURAL WORKERS / PERFORMERS Cultural workers and performers play an essential role in organising and delivering the school participation component, both through preparatory activities prior to the community festival and in supporting the participation of students/children at the community festival. Festival organising committees need to identify and liaise with suitable cultural workers and performers (eg musicians, dancers, theatre performers, writers, poets or other individuals who have the relevant artistic and cultural skills and abilities to enrich the schools program). Points to consider: • criminal history screening clearance is required for

volunteers/cultural workers visiting schools • cross cultural learning in participating schools/children’s services

can be recognised by sending certificates of participation SCHOOL CULTURAL PRESENTATION AT THE FESTIVAL Festival organising committees will negotiate with schools/children’s services for the most effective way to display the shared cross cultural skills (e.g. through cooking, exhibition, performance). GST REGULATIONS (in relation to receiving grants) When completing an application, community organisations are required to provide MEC with the following information: • Australian Business Number (ABN)

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OFFICE OF NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS AND SERVICES MINISTERIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE: MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION (MEC) • Status of the community organisation: profit or not-for-profit

organisation • GST status: Whether your organisation is registered for GST Small not-for-profit organisations whose annual turnover is less than $150,000 are not required to register for GST. (Please contact the Australian Taxation Office on 132866 or go to http://www.abr.gov.au/ABR_BC/ for help applying for an ABN or if you are unsure of your community organisation’s GST status) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND FUNDING CONDITIONS The Minister for Education and Child Development provides the funding for schools’ participation in community festivals based on recommendations submitted by MEC. The President / Chairperson / Executive Director of the Community Organisation must: • use the Grant allocated only for the school participation component

of the community festival • ensure that the Minister for Education and Child Development, the

Multicultural Education Committee (MEC) and the South Australian Government (with the government logo that will be sent to all successful organisations on request) are appropriately acknowledged at any official opening of all related events and in any publication, poster, and promotional material

• invite the Minister for Education and Child Development and the Chair of the Multicultural Education Committee to the event

• return to MEC all unspent funds • comply with all information in the Grant Acceptance Form • provide a full Financial Accountability and Acquittal Statement

(including complete receipts) and a Final Report *Failure to comply with the above funding conditions will result in the Community Organisations being ineligible to apply for future MEC funding until they have acquitted a previous grant and complied with the conditions of accepting that grant. FINAL REPORTS The Community Festival organising committee will provide (using MEC templates):

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OFFICE OF NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS AND SERVICES MINISTERIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE: MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION (MEC) a Final Report, completed after the community festival has been

completed, that may include pictorial representation and multimedia resources

a Financial Accountability and Acquittal Statement.

The two reports will assist with the evaluation of future grant programs and may assist other community groups with applications.

PROCESS FOR ASSESSMENT OF APPLICATIONS • Applications will undergo a preliminary assessment for eligibility by

the (MEC) Secretariat. • Applications will then be considered by the Multicultural Education

Committee panel and recommendations made to the Director Policy Coordination, Office of Non-Government Schools and Services.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA The Multicultural Education Committee panel will assess applications on the quality of the information provided and the extent to which the school participation project meets the objectives and outcomes of the SCF Grant Program.

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OFFICE OF NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS AND SERVICES MINISTERIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE: MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION (MEC)

Schools in Community Festivals Applications for festivals held before 30 June 2015

The closing date for applications is Friday 21 November, 2014.

For festivals held before this date, applications must be submitted at least four weeks prior to the event.

All applications must be signed before submitting a hard copy or email. Completed applications should be sent to: The Executive Officer Multicultural Education Committee (MEC) Office of Non-Government Schools and Services GPO Box 2370 Adelaide SA 5001

Website: www.mec.sa.edu.au E-mail: decsmec@sa.gov.au Tel: 8226 1191 Fax: 8226 1616

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