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Congratulations to our 3rd Quarter grant recipients!

Bloomfield, KY Elementary School Music Program: This is a Title 1 school serving kids grades K-5 in a rural area of Kentucky. They are building a school-wide music program to supplement their academic program; they started the program with bucket drums. The kids responded enthusiastically and want more musical experiences. CFKF gave support for 20 ukeleles to support this worthy program.

Boston, MA: Boston Arts Academy: BAA is Boston’s only public arts high school; they have a growing program and need more inventory for both home use (during Covid) and to replace rental instruments. We’ve offered support for 6 instruments to support this important program serving the arts in Boston.

Clearwater, FL: Sandy Lane Elementary:  This is a new program to build a robust musical experience for students grades K-5 in Clearwater. They are offering traditional string family instruments as well as guitar and ukulele; CFKF offered support for 30 ukeleles to help this exciting new initiative.

Cleveland, OH: Play It Forward Cleveland: This organization offers free instruction and instruments to kids around the area who have no access to either at their schools; they work in partnership with the Cleveland Orchestra and the City of Cleveland, among other orgs. They serve kids grades 6-12.  The student population comes from areas with high poverty and greatest need in Cleveland; they are getting CFKF support for 20 instruments.

Honolulu, HI: Saint Louis School:  This boys’ school serving students grades K-12 has one of the oldest music programs in the Islands; they integrate music and academics for their ethnically diverse student (primarily Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Island ethnicity). They are expanding their musical offerings and need considerably more inventory; there is a strong focus on connecting students with Hawaiian culture. CFKF has offered a grant of $2,000 in matching funds to support this program, with a focus on their need for ukuleles and violins.

Kahului, HI: Maui Youth Philharmonic Orchestra: This organization is starting a new program designed to be the first string program ever on the island of Maui. Their focus is on preschool-5^th grade. They are starting a pilot program in the town of Waihe’e; the school there supports an ethnically diverse population. CFKF is supporting their request for 7 instruments with a matching grant of $3,110 in matching funds to help this new program.

Kingston, TN: Harpeth MS Band Program:  Harpeth MS is starting a new string program to complement their existing band program; this would be the first string program in the County. Kingston’s a rural community, and this program will serve kids grades 5-8.  CFKF has offered grant of $1,500 in matching funds to support them.

Miami, FL: Area Stage Co.: This musical theater company in Miami is creating a new program to teach ukulele and guitar for kids involved grades K-12, with the goal of having them perform musically as well as theatrically. We’re offering matching support for 25 ukeleles and guitars to encourage this innovative program.

NYC, NY: Third Street Music School Partners Program:  Third Street is the oldest community music school in America (125 years old); they offer music instruction and instruments to an ethnically diverse student population from PS 42 in NYC (they offer all of this and dance in 20+ high needs schools in this area). Covid has necessitated the need for many more instruments; CFKF has offered matching support to help build more inventory for worthy and venerable program.

Paducah, KY: Lone Oak Elementary:  Lone Oak is starting an ambitious new program to give the musical experience to all kids grades K-1^st grade at the school, starting with small guitars. These lessons will take place before and after school. This is a Title I school; we’ve offered matching support for guitars for this this innovative and inspiring new program.

Paducah, KY: Reidland Elementary:  Reidland is starting a new string program for kids grades 2-3 in this Title I school; this would be the first time for them to engage in strings instruction. They’ve been offered matching support to help them build an inventory of new violins.

Sandpoint, ID: Music Conservatory of Sandpoint:  This is our second grant to Sandpoint; they are building a lending Library of instruments for the kids in their Conservatory serving grades K-12. Students would take out instruments on loan, like a book from the library. This is the only organization in the area that offers music, working with the schools in an after-school setting. We have offered matching support for 6 instruments to support this interesting model for MCS.

San Diego, CA: San Diego Youth Symphony:  CFKF worked with this excellent organization when we shared a benefit there around 10 years ago. They wish to expand their inventory to enable students on scholarship to have access to instruments (they loaned 363 instruments out last year). The student population (grades 4-12) they serve is ethnically diverse. CFKF has offered matching support for 6 instruments at a cost of $4,244 to support this very worthy program.

Tucson, AZ: Quest for Education and Arts: This private program offers string ensemble and orchestra training to students K-12 in southern Arizona. They wish to expand their ability to offer instruments for use by low-income students involved in the program. We’ve offered a grant of $2,000 in matching funds to support this program.

Wausau, WI: Wausau Conservatory of Music:  This private conservatory wishes to build a new program for younger kids (they have an existing program for older students; students K-12 are able to attend). This grant supporting their acquisition of 10 ukeleles will help them to expand their offering to young students otherwise unable to be involved. They also have a small youth orchestra.

Woodside, NY :New York Edge: NY Edge provides music programming to IS 318, a middle school in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn. They’re wishing to expand their after-school and online instruction to include more kids, especially those in high financial need families. CFKF has offered support for 16 ukeleles and guitars at a cost of $2,850 to help this worthy program and the low-income families they support.

Congratulations to our 2nd quarter grant recipients!

Alameda, CA: Bay Area Music Project:  This program serves kids K-8 in the Alameda area near Oakland with after-school music, academics and other activities.  They work with both an elementary school and a Title 1 feeder school; the student population is ethnically diverse. CFKF offered a grant of $1,000 in matching funds to support this inspiring model.

Billings, MT: Billings Christian School:  This eastern Montana faith-based school serving kids grads 5-12 is growing; they wish to provide greater access to this program for families unable to afford rentals. The slump in energy prices has particularly affected those families in this area.  Classics has offered $1238 in matching funds to support this worthy program.

Chapel Hill, NC: Carrboro Public School Foundation:  This public school program serving kids grades 6-8 with string orchestra needs to develop its inventory in order to better serve students unable to afford rentals. All of the instruments in this grant would be offered to students of color, and 100% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. We’ve offered $2000 in matching funds to support this public school program serving at-risk kids.

Detroit, MI: Detroit Suzuki Academy of Music:  This program serves children pre-K through grade 12 with private and group lessons; emphasis is on family involvement.  They need more inventory for families unable to afford instrument rentals. We’ve offered support for 4 violins.

Filer, ID: SD 413: This school district is starting a new program featuring ukulele instruction in the 5^th grade; the goal is to provide a musical experience for nearly 800 students. CFKF has offered matching support for 35 ukeleles to support this district and their kids in a rural area of Idaho.

Hazelwood, MO: Blossom Wood Day School:  This school, located in a high-risk northern county of St. Louis, offers after-school and summer programming to kids ages 4-12. The student population is almost entirely African-American, the majority are single-parent families; they need more inventory to support families that can’t afford rentals. We’ve offered $2000 in matching funds to support this program in a socio-economically challenged area.

Honolulu, HI: PAI Foundation:  This Foundation’s goal with this grant is to support traditional Hawaiian music experience for kids grades 6-12 through a new music program, focusing on music performed on ukulele, guitar and double bass. They hope to reach Native Hawaiian kids, along with students of a variety of ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds; CFKF has offered $2000 in matching funds to support this Foundation’s work.

Hyattsville, MD: DeMatha Catholic HS:  This faith-based school serving students grades 9-12 wishes to expand their inventory of excellent quality new instruments to provide inclusion for families otherwise unable to participate along with providing incentive for recruitment. The school serves an ethnically diverse population of boys, and over 60% of the students in this program qualify for financial support. CFKF is providing $1496 in matching support for 6 beautiful new instruments.

Marysville, KS Elementary School Music Dept.:  This public school program located in a rural part of Kansas aims to build on an existing program offering recorder and band instruments for kids grades K-6; the goal is to offer strings through ukulele to fill out their musical experience. We’ve offered $1800 in matching support for 40 ukeleles in this rural area of Kansas.

Miami, FL: Guitars over Guns Organization:  This innovative organization offers after-school music programs to at-risk kids in Chicago and Miami; they’re currently looking at expansion to another major metropolitan area. A goal is to offer the musical experience to youth during a period of the day when most violence and crime happen in their neighborhoods. The population served is almost 100% African-American and Hispanic; 99% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. We’ve offered matching support for 16 guitars and ukuleles to this innovative and inspiring model for support of kids at risk.

Miami, FL: Hive Prep:  This Title I Charter school serves kids grades K-8; they have an active violin program and wish to both expand that program and include other instruments. The school’s demographic is almost completely African-American and Hispanic; most students live in poverty. CFKF is offering $2000 in matching funds to support this school’s work.

NYC, NY: Bloomingdale SOM:  This private music school serves kids grades 1-12 from Manhattan and other boroughs with strings education; they wish to expand their offerings to include more violas, cellos, and ukuleles for beginners. They offer beginning instruction, an intermediate orchestra, and chamber orchestra for more advanced students. We’ve offered a grant of $1500 in matching funds to support this private program’s growth.

Oakland, CA: Oakland Youth Chorus:  This organization offers choral music and culturally relevant instrumental performance programming to several schools in a high-risk and economically challenged area around Oakland. We’ve offered $2000 in matching funds to support this innovative program’s new direction to help them purchase ukuleles to augment their kids’ musical experience.

Paducah, KY: Lone Oak Intermediate School:  This Title I elementary school serving primarily low-income students in a rural area near Paducah wishes to add ukulele to their music program in order to provide an additional hands-on music experience for their kids in 4^th and 5^th grade. CFKF has offered matching support for 30 ukeleles.

Roselle, NJ: Roselle Board of Education:  This public school string orchestra program wishes to expand its offering to 7^th and 8^th grade kids, and to build more quality inventory so that more kids can participate. The program is in a highly urban area of Union County with high rates of gang membership and poverty. We’ve offered $2000 in matching funds to support this program’s ability to offer the musical experience.

Valley Center, CA: Valley Center High School:  This school serving kids grades 9-12 has a choral program that wishes to expand its offering to include ukulele. This creates an outlet for expression during the pandemic where students may not be allowed to sing, or need to do their work in a hybrid online and in-person environment. We’ve offered matching support for 30 ukeleles to support this innovative new program in a rural area of California.

Wadsworth, OH: Access the Arts: This new initiative to create a musical experience in the Medina County Juvenile Detention Center aims to provide a positive artistic experience for detained kids grades 6-12. Many of these youths are depressed and have little family support; the hope is to provide hope and joy through music. We’ve offered matching support of $2275 for 22 guitars and ukeleles to support this unique program and the challenged kids they serve.