I teach music at a public elementary school in the heart of mid-town Manhattan in Hell's Kitchen. My students come from over 35 different nations from all around the world. Some are learning to speak English for the first time, while others are joining our community from temporary housing shelters. Some are seeking refuge from natural disasters in other parts of the world, while others are performing in musical theater shows on Broadway. Our marvelous students are a diverse bunch of children who are learning to share both their passions and struggles with their fellow students and teachers. We celebrate our differences together as we learn to be proud and confidant in our unique skin.
My school prides itself on encouraging children to express themselves- their hopes, fears, and dreams- through music, dance, and visual art.
Our students live for the arts. They walk in the door singing songs they've made up and eagerly share drawings they've created at home. The performing arts have been the glue that brings our kids together and has leveled the playing field allowing all children from all walks of life to play successfully on the same team.
My Project
We have been lucky enough to start a very small after school piano class at no cost to our students, but we are extremely limited in the number of children we can offer this exciting opportunity to because of the number of pianos we have. We also do not have a classroom to keep the keyboards permanently set-up due to our ever-growing student population. In addition to these challenges, our students do not have access to pianos at home making practicing very difficult. Without diligent practice, their newfound love of piano playing will not flourish.
These portable keyboards will solve all of those problems so that more of our students can begin to experience the joy of learning to play the piano while building very important skills of time management, personal responsibility, and work ethic!
We will be able to easily set up the roll out keyboards on the music room floor or classroom desks for instruction, increase the number of children who can take lessons at school for free for the next several years, AND students can carry the keyboards in their backpacks to take home between classes for extra practice time! It is a win on all accounts!
So many of our students have asked to join our class. I want to be able to encourage that excitement about learning and bring that joy to their families in their homes. I hope you will consider donating to our project so that my students can have this special opportunity.
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 Mrs. Traxler and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
