The Wallace Foundation has offered $4 million in funds to support the Arts Expansion Initiative (AEI) in Boston Public Schools (BPS). The contribution will go toward a $10 million nonprofit fundraising goal that will enable the organization to sustain high-quality arts offerings in schools and expand across the district.

"Arts learning opportunities have been diminishing over the last three generations of school children. The Wallace Foundation is looking forward to working with its partners in Boston who are testing new approaches to reverse this trend, and to learning with them about how to best strengthen arts learning," said Will Miller, president of the Wallace Foundation.

With funds from the grant, AEI will further the program by developing new approaches to arts education, faculty development, class curriculum, partnership coordination and engagement with students and families.

Already, efforts have significantly impacted the number of students who have access to arts instruction - up 67 percent in the past three years. Now, nine out of 10 students in elementary and middle school programs are able to participate in the classes. Boston Public schools will provide visual and performing arts classes to an additional 14,000 students this year with the ultimate goal of providing 100 percent of students with the learning opportunities.