Jacksonville's Cathedral Arts Project Lands $3.95 Million in Grants, Aiming to Reach 7,100 More Children

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jacksonville's Cathedral Arts Project announced $3.95 million in new federal, state and philanthropic grants on Oct. 15, with funding expected to expand arts education programs and reach 7,100 additional children. The nonprofit served more than 4,300 students during the 2025-26 school year and expects the new funding to significantly increase its reach, according to an Oct. 16 report by Jacksonville Today. The grants include approximately $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Education for arts educator development and $991,000 from the Florida Department of Education for programs serving children in military families.

The funding announcement represents an expansion of the organization's arts education work, which includes dance, music, theater and teaching fellowships, according to Jacksonville Today. Cathedral Arts Project also works with Duval County Public Schools and has been led by the Rev. Kimberley Hyatt for 24 years. The organization expects the grants to triple the number of families it serves, although that projection refers to families rather than the number of individual children.

Cathedral Arts Project Announces $3.95 Million in Funding

Cathedral Arts Project announced the new grants Thursday, Oct. 15, according to Jacksonville Today's report published the following day. The total of $3.95 million includes federal, state and philanthropic funding. The report identifies two major government funding sources supporting different aspects of the organization's educational programming.

The largest identified award comes from the U.S. Department of Education. Jacksonville Today reported approximately $2.5 million over three years for professional development for arts educators nationwide. A photograph caption accompanying the same report gave the federal amount as $2.55 million, while the article text used $2.5 million.

The other specifically identified government award is $991,000 from the Florida Department of Education. Jacksonville Today reported that the state funding is included in the department's 2026-27 fiscal budget. The money is designated for programs serving children in military families.

The overall $3.95 million announcement includes philanthropic grants, according to Jacksonville Today. The report does not provide a complete itemized breakdown of every philanthropic award. The federal and state amounts are the two major government awards specifically identified in the coverage.

Federal Grant Focuses on Training Arts Educators

The federal portion of Cathedral Arts Project's new funding will support professional development for arts educators across the country, according to Jacksonville Today. The U.S. Department of Education award covers a three-year period. The article describes the amount as approximately $2.5 million.

That purpose differs from the state's grant for children in military families. The federal funding focuses on developing educators, while the state allocation supports a particular population of children. Both awards are included in the organization's broader $3.95 million funding announcement.

Jacksonville Today's report identifies professional development as the federal grant's purpose without listing a specific number of participating educators. The funding period extends over three years, rather than being described as a single-year award. The organization's existing teaching fellowships provide additional context for its involvement in educator development.

The article also identifies a difference between its reported federal funding figure and the amount in an accompanying photograph caption. The main article says approximately $2.5 million, while the caption states $2.55 million. Both figures appear in the same Jacksonville Today report describing the Oct. 15 announcement.

Florida Awards $991,000 for Children in Military Families

Jacksonville Today reported $991,000 from the Florida Department of Education for Cathedral Arts Project programs serving children in military families. The money is in the state's 2026-27 fiscal budget. It is separate from the federal award for arts educator professional development.

The state grant identifies military families as the intended population for the supported programming. Jacksonville Today reported the amount and purpose as part of its coverage of the organization's funding announcement. The report did not provide a separate count of children from military families currently participating in Cathedral Arts Project programs.

The $991,000 award is one of the specifically identified sources within the $3.95 million funding announcement. Its purpose is tied to programming for children rather than the nationwide professional development supported by the federal grant. The two awards therefore address different parts of Cathedral Arts Project's work.

Goal Is to Reach 7,100 Additional Children

Cathedral Arts Project served more than 4,300 students during the 2025-26 school year, according to Jacksonville Today. The organization's new grants are expected to bring another 7,100 children into its programs. Using 4,300 as the baseline, the projected additional reach would bring the combined figure to approximately 11,400 children.

Jacksonville Today also reported that the grants are expected to triple the number of families served by the organization. That projection concerns families, while the 7,100 figure refers specifically to additional children. The two measurements describe different aspects of the anticipated expansion.

The new funding is intended to support growth beyond the organization's existing student participation. Jacksonville Today's figures establish the reported baseline for 2025-26 and the additional reach expected from the grants. The projected increase has not been presented as an already completed enrollment total.

The expansion comes after more than three decades of Cathedral Arts Project operations, according to Jacksonville Today. The nonprofit was described as having been founded 33 years before the October 2026 report. Its longer operating history provides context for the scale of the newly announced funding and student reach goals.

Arts Programs Include Dance, Strings, Theater and Teaching Fellowships

Cathedral Arts Project's educational offerings include a dance ensemble and a strings ensemble, according to Jacksonville Today. The organization also provides teaching fellowships in cello, violin, theater and dance. These programs are among the activities identified in the publication's description of the nonprofit.

The report lists the dance and strings ensembles as programs. It names the fellowship areas as cello, violin, theater and dance. The article does not give enrollment numbers for each program.

The new funding announcement includes both educator development and programs intended to reach additional children. The federal grant specifically supports professional development for arts educators nationwide. The state grant addresses programming for children in military families, according to Jacksonville Today's description.

These funding purposes connect to the organization's existing involvement in arts instruction and teaching fellowships. Jacksonville Today's report identifies music, theater and dance among the disciplines in Cathedral Arts Project's work. The additional funding is expected to expand the organization's overall reach beyond the more than 4,300 students served in 2025-26.

Partnership With Duval County Public Schools

Duval County Public Schools is a partner of Cathedral Arts Project, according to Jacksonville Today. The school district's superintendent, Christopher Bernier, praised the partnership in the Oct. 16 report. The relationship is part of the organization's work in delivering arts education programs.

Cathedral Arts Project CEO Kimberley Hyatt also discussed student outcomes associated with the nonprofit's programming. According to Jacksonville Today, Hyatt said the organization had documented improvements in attendance, behavior and academic performance. Those findings were presented as the organization's own claims about its programs.

The reported outcomes accompany the nonprofit's efforts to expand the number of children and families it serves. Jacksonville Today's article identifies the district partnership and Hyatt's statements as part of the announcement's broader educational context. The report does not establish that every participating student experienced the same outcomes.

Hyatt has served as Cathedral Arts Project's CEO for 24 years, according to Jacksonville Today. Her tenure covers 24 of the nonprofit's 33 years, as the report describes them. Her statements about outcomes are the organization's own claims.

More Than $26.5 Million Raised Since 2019

The new grant announcement follows several years of fundraising by Cathedral Arts Project. According to Jacksonville Today, the organization has raised more than $26.5 million since 2019. That figure provides a longer-term financial comparison with the newly announced $3.95 million.

The nonprofit's funding sources include federal, state and philanthropic support, as reflected in the October announcement. Jacksonville Today identified the government grants and included philanthropy in the overall total. The article did not itemize every philanthropic contribution within the new funding package.

Cathedral Arts Project's longer operating history and recent fundraising totals are part of the organization's financial background. Jacksonville Today reported that the nonprofit was founded 33 years ago and has been led by Hyatt for 24 years. The newly announced grants add to the organization's reported history of raising funds for arts education.

Additional State Funding Could Be Requested in 2027

Jacksonville Today's Oct. 16 report identified another potential state funding request for Cathedral Arts Project. State Sen. Clay Yarborough, a Republican from Jacksonville, plans to request additional funding when the 2027 legislative session begins in March. The report described that request as a future action rather than an already approved appropriation.

The prospective request follows the $991,000 state award included in the Florida Department of Education's 2026-27 fiscal budget. That existing allocation is intended for programs serving children in military families. Any additional request in 2027 would be separate from the funding already described in the October announcement.

For the current announcement, Jacksonville Today reported $3.95 million in combined federal, state and philanthropic grants. The organization expects that support to expand its programs to reach 7,100 additional children, alongside professional development opportunities for arts educators. The reported funding and enrollment projections remain the central measures of Cathedral Arts Project's announced expansion.