Education United States Project #10437

Give Preschool Children a Musical Head Start!

by Guitars in the Classroom

Project Report | Oct 29, 2012
The Children Are Strumming!

By Jessica Baron | Executive Director

ukulele magic with GITC preschoolers

Dear Musically-Minded Contributor,

Thank you for joining Guitars in the Classroom to create hands-on musical learning opportunities for pre-school students. The current project to which you donated funds has been focused on reaching preschools in Michigan and Mississippi. We are excited now to spread the work to Mobile, Alabama!

Because you gave, so far we have been able to provide six ukuleles to a preschool in each region. The teachers are using the training they have been receiving from Guitars in the Classroom to share music with their young students, and we hope to do lots more of this work around the country between now and the end of the year!

GITC's support for integrating music with preschool education began in Chicago four years ago at El Valor, Chicago’s premiere bilingual early childhood Center of Excellence. Says Vincent Allocco, Executive Director “There are many early childhood music programs that enhance children’s development but I have never before encountered a music and dialogue program with greater potential for improving teacher creativity and effectiveness and student engagement than GITC.”

Ukuleles are the perfect size for little hands, and we thank you for helping us make these instruments available!

With sincere best wishes and thanks for your support of this project,

Jess

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Jul 30, 2012
The Ukes Have Landed in Two Preschools!

By Jessica Baron | Executive Director

Hello Project Supporters,

Thank you so very much for having a heart for young children and music with your recent contribution to Guitars in the Classroom's early childhood programs. Your kindness is already shaping the daily learning of children in early childhood centers in Oxford, Michigan and Pascagoula, Mississippi because early this month, we were able to purchase three ukuleles for children to share in each of two preschool locations!

Now that their teachers have been learning to make and lead music with Guitars in the Classroom, these students can engage in thoughtfully facilitated instrumental and vocal experiences that will set them on the path to becoming life long music makers. They will be playing and singing along with their teachers, taking turns, making up new songs, and developing talent, confidence, and a positive outlook about school.

As you may be aware, musicality and language development go hand in hand in the early years. Given a chance to strum and sing, the little ones in these centers have a greater chance of making rapid gains in both while feeling the beat and playing creative rhythms with their songs for learning. Your gift may ultimately lead some of them to become the inspirational artists of the future, but most importantly, you are empowering them right now as their minds, habits, and attitudes about school, music, and themselves are forming. A child who succeeds in "making a joyful noise" will wish to continue along that path of healthy, creative self expression.

We still have a long way to go. If you'd like to continue helping GITC provide early musical learning in preschool programs, I hope you will keep us in mind when you are ready to make a new tax deductible gift. Thank you fso much for being the first people to get behind this special campaign! We hope to get some ukuleles into the preschool in Mililani, Hawaii so the children there can begin to learn the musical traditions of their heritages.

Sending very best wishes and much gratitude,

Jess

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