This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
Did you ever wish you had learned to play guitar? Or did you learn, and are grateful for this musical gift? Now you can empower students on their own musical journey. We'll spend 42 minutes daily of hands-on strumming, singing, and rocking out. Help us create a musical respite in our busy school day
We are from a large semi-rural California middle school.
Our students come from diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. As well, they bring a wide range of English Language skills with them to school. We may speak different languages at home, but we all share the universal language of music!
These guitars will reach the hands of 400 sixth and seventh grade students this year alone as students rotate through the music segment of our exploratory wheel program. "I want to learn to play guitar" was the number one request of our students when evaluating their needs and wants in a music curriculum.
Our culture is saturated with images of guitar players as icons. We have a teachable moment; let's capitalize on this student interest, and provide an engaging music education. I can't wait until my students experience the satisfaction of mastering a chord progression or melody. My students deserve to feel the joy and empowerment of active music-making, not just passive listening.
My Project
I believe music class should be fun. I believe music class should be active. I believe that my students are under so many academic and social stressors that time during the day to sing and play together builds healthy minds, bodies, souls, and communities.
Middle schoolers love the sound and feel of the guitar! I am requesting a set of classroom guitars for my students to use at school as we build a guitar program. We are currently limited to homemade instruments, which are fun to make, but sound bad and break easily. We have spent time learning to listen, move, and sing, and are now ready to embark on our guitar-learning quest.
Guitar is portable. Many students have one sitting in their garage, at a relative's home, or down the street at a yard sale, but they have no idea what to do with it.
Guitar provides a great foundation for future musical pursuits. With your help, this foundation will be laid for 400 students in the upcoming year, and countless others in future years
Our youth deserve a music education.
This is your chance to reach students who would never join a traditional musical ensemble, like band or choir, but are intrigued by the guitar. In six weeks, students will master guitar fundamentals, allowing them to play and create music independently long after the course is over, and perhaps, throughout their lives.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Portello-Swagel and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
