The California Arts Council announced its latest grant award winners and recipients in Los Angeles and Orange County received more than $290,000. The grants support teaching artists focusing on music, theater, dance, visual arts and other art forms. 

"Arts education leads to increased creativity, higher graduation rates and greater aspirations," said Director of the California Arts Council Craig Watson, in a statement. He said the grants, called Artists in Schools aim to improve K-12 education.

Thirty-four Orange County and Los Angeles organizations received funding for teaching artists this year. In addition, Top Hat Dancers, Inc. received an Artists in Schools Planning grant for $2,500 to develop strategies with the Wiseburn School District on integrating a dance program into classroom work.

Statewide, 118 arts organizations were awarded $944,784 in Artists in Schools funding. 

The Arts Plate, the state license plate with a sunset and palm tree design, provides partial funding for the yearly grants. Applications are typically available at the beginning of each year. The California Arts Council will provide application updates for next year on its website.

Other grant programs also received funding from the California Arts Council. In all, more than $2.8 million was awarded.