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2018 4th Quarter Grants

Congratulations to our 4th quarter grant recipients:

Albany NY High School Strings Program: This public school program serving kids grades 9-12 is growing, and needs more quality inventory to support that growth. Much of their inventory is of lower quality and condition. We’ve offered $3,000 in matching funds to encourage this growing program and help them build a stronger inventory.

Atlanta GA Mt. Vernon Presbyterian School: This school serves kids grades 8-12; the program is growing, and they’re starting a new 4th and 5th grade program. They wish to expand their inventory to support students and families unable to afford rental fees for instruments. The student population is ethnically mixed,. CFKF is offering $2,710 in matching funds in support of 13 instruments to encourage this program’s vision.

Boston MA Boston Arts Academy: This program serves students grades 9-12 as the only visual and performing arts school in Boston; their ensembles perform all over Boston, and an audition is required for admittance. They have a strong need for more new instruments to augment their aging inventory. We’ve offered matching support for 5 instruments with 1,975 to help this unique school in Boston.

Boston MA Boston Bridge Charter School: This is the second grant we’ve offered to Boston Bridge; this charter school’s students are accepted through a lottery system, and the student population is almost entirely students of color. We’ve offered $3,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth and help them grow a sustainable inventory of new instruments.

Bozeman MT Public Schools: This is our first request from Bozeman in some time; the orchestral program there continues to thrive. This school, Chief Joseph Middle School, has no cellos available for use in their building, and CFKF has offered $1,391 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in the town of CFKF’s origin.

Buffalo NY Buffalo String Works: This is an inspirational program that serves the refugee and immigrant community in Buffalo with music training. These kids come from such countries as Somalia, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iraq and Burma. Their students go to several of the area public schools; we’ve offered $1,486 in matching funds to encourage this growing program’s exciting vision with 4 new instruments.

Chicago IL Chicago West Community Center: This community center serves students pre-K through adult in an area of Chicago plagued by poverty and crime. We gave a grant there several years ago, and the program continues to grow and need more inventory. CFKF is offering $3,316 in matching funds to encourage this Center’s ability to provide the musical experience to kids in a challenging environment.

Flint MI Ballet Folklore: This community program utilizes Mariachi, taught by classically trained musicians, to inspire kids through culturally relevant music. They work with 80 students grades 2-12, and are limited in growth by their small inventory. The population there is predominantly Hispanic. We’ve offered $1,000 in matching funds to support this growing program and help them revitalize that inventory.

Greenfield IN Public School Foundation: This small community near Indianapolis has a growing middle school string program with a need for more instruments for families unable to afford to buy or rent them, as well as a need to augment a very small inventory. CFKF has offered $2,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s instrumental needs in a fairly rural area.

Kansas City MO Heartland Chamber Music:  This active and growing program serving low-income families and children ages pre-K-5th grade has a large program for violin and viola and wishes to add cello to their offerings. We’ve offered $3,000 in matching funds to expand their instrumental offerings and encourage this growing program’s vision.

Los Angeles CA A Place Called Home: This organization serves low-income families and kids grades 2-12 with string ensemble programs; at this point they are offering violin instruction and wish to expand to include other stringed instruments. The student population is predominantly Latino. CFKF has offered $3,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Memphis TN Redwood Training Group: This organization, serving kids K-12, wishes to expand its music theory program with more instruments. They only have keyboard and percussion at the moment and wish to add guitars to help students with comprehension and support better outcomes for math and English. We’ve offered $1,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s innovative approach and build an inventory of new guitars.

Milwaukee WI Public Schools: This large district is quite committed to improving the quality of its growing string program and their inventory. CFKF has offered support for 11 beautiful new instruments with a $4,085 matching grant.

New Orleans LA Walter Plessy School: This innovative arts-integrated school in the French Quarter of New Orleans serves a diverse low-income population of students grades 2-7 with an active a growing string program. They have a strong need for an inventory of instruments (they’ve been renting for the past 5 years) and to provide free use of quality instruments; CFKF is offering $3,500 in matching funds to encourage this exciting program’s growth.

Peoria AZ Centennial HS Instrumental Music: This is a new program in the Phoenix metro area that wishes to provide string instruction for students grades 9-12 (they have an active feeder program for earlier grades; our grant will support the creation of a high school program). We’ve offered $1,854 in matching funds for 4 new instruments to encourage this new program’s expansion.

Rapid City SD Chamber Music Festival of the Black Hills: This program, which has traditionally supported high-level chamber music performance throughout western South Dakota, wishes to expand its mission by providing instruments and instruction to children grades 3-5, in particular Native American students in need of instruments and instruction.  The hope is to reduce truancy rates and support better academic performance. The student population being supported is 71% Native American; We’ve offered $3,500 in matching funds to encourage this new program’s vision for our first grant in South Dakota.

Springfield MA Community Music School: This school serves a very low-income and disadvantaged area with a large and inclusive music program; they offer string education to students from around the area ages 7-18. We gave a grant there several years ago, and they’ve grown substantially. The program is large (830 participants), and they have a great need for more inventory (many students have to share instruments). We’re offering $3,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s expansion.

St. Louis MO Classical Guitar: This is our second grant to this organization; they serve kids grades 4-12 in 15 schools around the economically and socially challenged area of Ferguson. The program has grown substantially since our last grant, and they have a strong need for more guitars to meet that growth. CFKF has offered $2,700 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth and their purchase of 24 new guitars.

Wilson NC Save Our Youth Program: This is a new string program being offered though the elementary schools in Wilson; they want to build a program that supports better outcomes for academics as well. We’ve offered $1,423 in matching funds to encourage this new program’s vision and help them purchase 9 new stringed instruments.

Winston-Salem NC IBF Solutions: This is a new program that provides after-school initiatives for blind and vision-impaired kids grades 4-11. They wish to build a starter inventory to help these students explore music. At this point, 11 students are involved from schools around the area. We’ve offered $952 in matching funds to encourage this innovative program’s ability to provide the musical experience to these kids and to purchase 2 violins and 2 guitars.

Since 1998…

Help us help string programs throughout all of the 50 states!  If you know of a string program that would benefit from matching grants to purchase high-quality instruments, tell them about Classics for Kids!

States not yet served

  • North Dakota
  • Delaware

States with only one grant

  • Hawaii
  • Iowa
  • Mississippi
  • Nevada

 

2018 3rd Quarter Grants

Congratulations to our 3rd quarter grant recipients:

Charleston, SC: Allegro Charter School: This is the second grant we’ve offered Allegro; this program serves students grades 6-12 with an immersive musical experience (students learn several different kinds of instruments as part of their study). We gave our first grant there in 2015 when this was a new program; they’ve grown substantially since then and need more instruments.  We’ve offered them $2,600 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Greenville, SC: Legacy Early College Middle School: This growing program serves kids grades 5-8 in an area with significant poverty. They are requesting a new infusion of instruments to meet their growth and reduce rental costs for instruments. (we gave our first grant there in 2017). 100% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. We’ve offered $3,046 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth for a program serving particularly disadvantaged kids.

Leesville, NC: Loure Orchestra Boosters Club: This active orchestra program for kids grades 6-12 in the Raleigh NC suburbs is in need of a growing inventory to keep up with student demand, and to be able to offer instruments free of rental charge.  CFKF’s offered them $2,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

New York City, NY: Harmony Program: This is the second grant CFKF’s offered the NYC Harmony Program (which is one of several Harmony Projects we’ve supported nationally). They’re expanding in Harlem, Chinatown and Queens, and need more instruments to support kids grades 3 and 6 they provide instruction for. The population is multiethnic (mainly Black, Hispanic and Asian), and 84% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. CFKF’s offered  $5,000 in matching funds to encourage this growing program’s needs.

Portland, ME: Palaver Strings: up until now, this group has been performance-based, but they’re starting a strings instruction program to expand their mission. They’re serving kids ages 4-6, and the student population is ethnically mixed with a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. This grant will constitute their initial inventory of instruments., and we’re offering $4,000 in matching funds to encourage this innovative new program’s beginning.

San Jose, CA: School of Arts and Culture at MHP: This school serves students ages Pre-K through grade 12 in a very low-income area with considerable crime and poverty around East San Jose, helping them achieve developmental and educational milestones through music study.  The focus is on the Mariachi culture and musical traditions. The population is predominantly Hispanic, and 80% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. They are requesting support for 6 violins, and CFKF’s offered $1,306 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Santa Fe, CA: Youth Symphony Assoc.: This organization offers training for kids grades K-5 from around Santa Fe.; they serve an age group that doesn’t have offerings for strings instruction there.  The student population is ethnically mixed, and 71% of the students in the general area qualify for the Federal free lunch program. CFKF’s offered $2,500 in matching funds to encourage this well-run program’s growth.

Stockton, CA: Colonial Heights School: This public-school string program serves kids grades 4-8; they have a need for more inventory so that families unable to afford rental costs can participate in strings. We’ve offered $1,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

2018 2nd Quarter Grants

Congratulations to our 2nd quarter grant recipients:

Decatur, AL Youth Symphony: This youth program in a blue-collar community in northern Alabama is seeking to expand its cello program and allow students growing out of their starter cellos to have instruments to play. CFKF has offered $1,808 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Detroit, MI: Youth Volume: This program serves kids grades K-12 with group violin and viola classes; they serve as a feeder organization into the Detroit Symphony’ Orchestra’s Civic Youth Ensembles program. They requested support for 7 instruments, and CFKF’s offered $1,612 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in a community of high need.

Duschene, UT: Eagle Community Foundation: This growing program serves kids grades 5-6 in Duschene County; they are working on developing a class for younger students to feed into an established junior high program. They asked for support for 10 instruments, and we’ve offered $2,502 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Eagle Mountain, UT: Rockwell Charter HS: This is an open enrollment Charter School in a rural area of Utah; the program currently has no inventory of instruments, so this grant would help establish one in order to help encourage students unable to afford or rent one to be able to participate. They need support for 12 instruments, and we’ve offered $2,258 in matching funds.

Greenfield, MA: Artspace Community Arts Center: This program serving kids grades 3-12 operates in partnership with the Greenfield Public Schools; they have an active violin program for the area but need more cellos to expand their offerings. They need support for 5 instruments, and we’ve offered $2,165 in matching funds to encourage this program’s continuing growth.

Lafayette, LA: Spartan Strings: This program serves students grades 9-12; kids audition to participate in Spartan Strings. They currently have very little inventory of violas and cellos and those are of poor quality; this grant would help to address that issue. CFKF’s offered a matching grant of $1,201 to support their need.

Lancaster, PA: Music for Everyone: This is our 3rd grant request from Lancaster; they offer music instruction to the Lancaster School system for kids grades K-12. They provide grants to all of the schools, but are unable to keep up with the demand for support for strings offerings. The program serves a multiethnic population, including many refugee families; we’ve offered a grant of $2,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s continued growth through the Deon Hilge fund.

Lewisburg, WV Carnegie Hall: This innovative program works in partnership with the Weill Music Institute in NYC, offering recorder instruction to kids grades 3-5 to schools throughout the counties surrounding Lewisburg in a very rural area; all the schools served are Title I. We’ve offered a grant of $3,000 in matching funds to encourage this program; this will be our first grant in West Virginia.

Manitou Springs, CO Elementary Schools Ensemble: This is our second grant request from Manitou Springs; this program serves kids grades K-5. On the heels of a successful introduction to violin for all 3rd graders through our first grant, they seek to expand their offerings to include cello and bass. CFKF’s offered a grant of $2,265 in matching funds to encourage this program’s continued growth.

Mesa, AZ: Heritage Academy Mesa: This program operates an orchestra for kids grades 7-12; they need more cellos and basses to continue to grow and expand lower strings participation. We’ve offered $1,660 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in an area we have little presence.

New York City, NY: St. Luke’s Orchestra: This is our second grant request from St. Luke’s; they began a successful program for disadvantaged kids several years ago for kids grades 2-8. They need to increase their inventory of violas and cellos and reduce students’ reliance on poor quality rentals. The program serves a multiethnic population in a variety of school and community center locations; 85% of the students they serve go to Title I schools, where 100% of the students qualify for the Federal free lunch program. We’ve offered a grant of $2,460 in matching funds to encourage this excellent program.

Omaha, NE: Omaha Conservatory of Music: This program currently offers free instruction to string students grades 3-8 in underserved areas around Omaha; they’d like to start a double bass offering as well for their String Sprouts program, which operates in 14 different locations. The student population is multi-ethnic; CFKF has offered $3,000 in matching funds to encourage this active and innovative program’s growth; this will be our first grant in Nebraska.

Sandpoint, ID: Music Conservatory of Sandpoint: This afterschool program serves kids grades 4-12, bringing music instruction to such areas as Priest River. They hope through this grant to provide more opportunity to rural kids in the area. CFKF has offered a grant of $1,975 in matching funds to encourage this program in an area we have little presence.

Springfield, MA: Veritas Prep Charter School: This middle school serving grades 5-8 in the Springfield area. Group strings classes meet weekly in Strings Club, and students perform regularly in community events such as the MLK celebration. The student population is predominantly Hispanic and African-American, and 100% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. We’ve offered a grant of $1,172 in matching funds to encourage this program in an area with little strings instruction.

Worcester, MA: Neighborhood Strings: This is our third grant to Neighborhood Strings, which we supported with a grant. Under the auspices of the Worcester Chamber Music Society, they work with kids grades 3-12 from around Worcester in an after-school setting, and they need to expand their inventory of quality instruments as the program continues to grow. CFKF has given Neighborhood Strings grant of $2,323 in matching funds to encourage this program’s expansion.

2018 1st Quarter Grants

Atlanta, GA: Drew Charter School: This school serves a large and innovative urban renewal initiative in Atlanta, where thousands of mixed-income families live together in a revitalized neighborhood. The student population is ethnically mixed (predominantly African-American). They have a strong and growing string program, and needed both new instruments and replacements for damaged inventory. CFKF offered $2,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Bayfield, CO: Be Heard Music Conservatory: This program serves elementary schools in the mostly rural area of Bayfield and Durango for kids grades 1-5. The student population is predominantly Caucasian with a small Native American presence. The program continues to grow, and there’s a strong need for more inventory to meet that growth. We offered $2,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in a rural area of Colorado.

Bellefontaine, OH City Schools: This rural public school program (45 miles from Columbus, pop. 15,000) serving grades 3-12 is growing rapidly, and there is a dearth of cellos and basses available. CFKF offered a grant of $1,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in a rural area.

Conyers, GA: Bread of Life Development Ministries: This is a new program hoping to bring the musical experience to children grades K-5 in a small Georgia community. They requested support for several new instruments, and CFKF has offered $2,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in a rural area in the Georgia where we have little presence.

Indianapolis, IN: Pride Academy: This is our second grant from this program serving kids grades K-6; they are continuing to grow and need more violins. There is not an orchestral program, but the students learn the violin and reading music through group lessons. We’ve offered a grant of $1,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s further growth.

Inglewood, CA: Children of the Pro: This charter school serving kids grades 4-8 is building classroom instruction of strings as part of their curriculum. They need support for more instruments to support their growth; CFKF has offered them $2,000 in matching funds.

New York City, NY: Opportunity Music Project: This organization delivers a strings experience to students from all around NYC; they have a strong need to strengthen their inventory of basses to a growing class. We’ve offered matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Oklahoma City, OK: El Sistema Oklahoma: This large program serves kids grades 3-10 at 11 schools in the northern part of Oklahoma City. They have a strong need for more new inventory for their growing student population. CFKF’s offered $2,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth; this will be our second Oklahoma grant.

Palmer, AK: Birchtree Charter School: This is our second grant for this growing string program serving grades 4-8 in the general vicinity of Anchorage. Strings are a core curriculum class; they wish to expand their inventory particularly of lower instruments (viola, cello, bass) so that students unable to rent or buy have access. CFKF has offered a grant of $1,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Plattsburgh, NY: Plattsburgh City SD: This public school music program serves kids grades 5-12; they offer all mediums of instruction but have a strong string program. Budget constraints have contributed to a declining inventory of playable instruments; many are in such poor condition as to be unplayable. We are supporting this active program with $2,500 in matching funds to encourage their growth in a rural area of New York state.

Portland, ME: Portland Symphony: The Explorers program created by PSO uses music to help students grades K-3 reach appropriate reading and social skills, and to help prepare them for 4th grade strings instruction in 2 Portland public schools. We’ve offered $2,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in a state we have little presence.

Seattle, WA: Keys to Change: This organization runs 2 studios in the area south of Seattle for kids ages 12-18. They provide lessons and additional support to public school string programs in the area, and wish to have a larger inventory of violins to offer to their students most in need. CFKF is offering $2,280 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Tacoma, WA: Tacoma Public Schools: This system is offering a new course in violin instruction for 4th graders as part of their standard curriculum at Franklin Elementary School. We’ve offered $2,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth with more beautiful new violins.

Waltham, MA: Whittemore Elementary: This school is offering string instruction for kids grades 3-5; the grant is meant to serve students whose families can’t afford to rent or buy instruments. CFKF has offered matching funds to further encourage this program’s growth.

Worcester, MA: Support Our Fine Arts (SOFA): This is a Magnet program designed to serve the Worcester Public Schools; they have a strong need for more and better instruments to serve their students grades 7-12 unable to rent or buy instruments. We’re offering $1,473 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

2017 4th Quarter Grants

Congratulations to the recipients of our 2017 4th quarter grants!

Boston, MA: Boston String Academy: This program serves a broad community of minority and immigrant families around Boston; their goal with this grant is to establish a solid string program in Allston, MA at their partner Gardner Pilot Academy. CFKF has offered matching support for 12 violins to encourage this program’s growth from our Boston String Project fund.

Buffalo, NY: Olmsted School Foundation: This program supports a thriving and quickly growing string program serving kids K—12. The city of Buffalo has a poverty rate of nearly 50% for children, and 64% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program, CFKF has offered $3,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Chicago, IL: Chicago West Community Music Center: This is our second grant request from this organization; they serve children grades K-12 and beyond. They are building a program for younger students to grow into their teen program. CFKF has offered $1,248 in matching funds to further encourage this program’s growth.

Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Academy: This program serves kids grades 4-12; they have an active and growing orchestral program and requested support for 1 double bass. We have offered matching funds to further encourage the growth of this program in a state we have a growing presence in.

Kansas City, MO: Heartland Chamber Music: This program serves kids pre-K through 6th grade with violin instruction. Many of the students go to schools without a string program; They requested support for 14 violins and have received $1,044 in matching funds to further encourage the growth of this program.

Madera, CA: Millview Elementary School: This is the 3rd grant request from Madera; interest in their string program continues to grow, and this grant will support the creation of another string program in another elementary school there. 100% of the students qualify for the Federal free lunch program; the kids are 90% English language learners. They requested support for 20 instruments and CFKF has offered $3000 in matching funds to further encourage this program’s growth.

Mobile, AL: St. Paul’s Episcopal School: This private school serves an ethnically mixed population of students grades 5-12. They have an active string program called Chamber Strings that travels and performs around the area, and they wish to allow access to instruments for those families unable to purchase or rent them. They requested support for 5 instruments, and CFKF has offered $1,937 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in a new state for CFKF.

NYC, NY: Washington Heights Inwood Project: An organization called Orchestrating Dreams is developing a project in Washington Heights to provide cultural access to Washington Heights residents ages 2-24 with orchestra, chamber ensemble and other activities. This grant will provide instruments for students grades 7-10 for this ethnically diverse group. They requested support for 16 instruments, and CFKF has offered $3,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s expansion.

Rushville, IN: Franklin County 4H: This 4H group serving kids grades 3-12 fills a void where there is no string program in the schools in this rural area. They requested support for 1 cello and 1 bass, and CFKF has offered matching support for this program’s request

San Marcos, CA: Kids’ College: This is our third grant request from this quickly growing and innovative program (they are projecting growth from 75-125 kids this year) serving kids grades 4-6. This organization is the only source of string education there, and 85% of the children qualify for the Federal free lunch program. They requested support for 14 instruments, and we continue our support for this great program’s growth with a $2,500 match.

Savannah, GA: Savannah Classical Academy: This school serving students K-12 has a goal of providing a classical education including the arts; the students for this school are chosen by city-wide lottery. They have an active string program and need more stringed instruments to serve the kids there. The student population is predominantly African-American. They requested support for 20 instruments, and we’ve offered support for this program’s growth with a $3,000 match in a state we haven’t had a presence in yet.

St. Cloud, MN: Talahi Community School: This elementary school is requesting support for growth of their string program. The school (recognized for its STEM program), serves many different ethnicities, including a large East African immigrant community. Most students can’t afford to own or rent instruments; 96% of the children qualify for the Federal free lunch program. They requested support for 4 instruments, and CFKF has offered $994 in matching funds to further encourage the growth of this program in a state we have a growing presence in.

Increased interest!

News from the Busbee Creative Arts Academy in Cayce, SC:

The Academy is pleased to report that the orchestra currently services 12 students.  To facilitate learning, Mr. Rogers is using the Essential Elements for Strings method book series.  To supplement, appropriate quartet literature is being acquired.

The Orchestra recently completed its very first performance of “Jingle Bells” at the end of quarter showcase on December 15. The performance had no printed program so credit was given verbally to CFKF by Mr. Rogers for the instruments.

Students will participate in more such informal performances.  A notable increase in student interest following the performance has led to the planning of a seventh grade beginning course as well as a continuing seventh grade course.