21st Century Fox and Give a Note Foundation honored the legacy of “American Idol” this summer by asking students, parents and the general public to nominate exceptional music educators as “Music Education Idols.” This week, 21CF and Give a Note are highlighting the importance of music education in schools by awarding 20 “MusicEd Idols” $1,000 grants for each of their school’s music programs.
Music teachers across the U.S. were honored with video testimonials about how they encouraged their students to discover their creative potential.
“We were so inspired by the students who submitted nominations and the music educators who motivate them every day to work hard and achieve their dreams,” said Shira Oberlander, Executive Director of Social Impact for 21st Century Fox. “We are thrilled to support these teachers in their work to make a difference in students’ lives.”
This round of grants continues a five-year relationship between 21CF and Give a Note in support of music education.
Since 2011, 21st Century Fox businesses have donated more than $1 million to underfunded music programs in schools across the country as part of the company’s commitment to support the next generation of artists and creators.
“We appreciate the continued support of 21st Century Fox to reach more students in more schools with the power of music,” said Jane Mell Balek, Give a Note Chief Executive Officer. “This is a wonderful opportunity to shine a spotlight on great music programs, which benefit students in all U.S. schools. These stories cannot be told enough, and we encourage communities to support their local school’s music programs and the teachers who make them possible.”
Here is the list of the 20 “MusicEd Idols”:
|
Teacher |
School |
City |
State |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rosa Rabinovich |
N. S. Edelcup Sunny Isles Beach K-8 |
Sunny Isles Beach |
Florida |
|
Lynette Carr-Hicks |
Uniondale High School |
Uniondale |
New York |
|
Rich Guillen |
Arlington High School |
LaGrangeville |
New York |
|
Daryl Yasay |
West Orange High School |
Winter Garden |
Florida |
|
Kendra Martin |
Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School |
Boston |
Massachusetts |
|
Brian Langdon |
Boyertown High School |
Boyertown |
Pennsylvania |
|
Jennifer Jimenez |
South Miami Senior High School |
Miami |
Florida |
|
Deb Schaaf |
Jane Addams Middle School |
Seattle |
Washington |
|
Lori Lovell |
Maitland Middle School |
Maitland |
Florida |
|
Colin O’Dwyer |
James Otis Elementary School |
Boston |
Massachusetts |
|
Mitzi Lundy |
Elzie D. Patton Elementary School |
Mt. Juliet |
Tennessee |
|
Christopher Hanson |
San Marcos High School |
San Marcos |
Texas |
|
Bridget P. Speranza |
Munster High School |
Munster |
Indiana |
|
Daniel E. Graf |
Eastport South Manor High School |
Manorville |
New York |
|
Emmanuel Toledo |
Ninth Grade Academy, Lawrence HS |
Lawrence |
Massachusetts |
|
Benjamin Davis |
East Aurora Middle School |
East Aurora |
New York |
|
Jesse Espinosa |
Waltrip High School |
Houston |
Texas |
|
Ryan Solero |
Tenth Grade Academy, Lawrence HS |
Lawrence |
Massachusetts |
|
Lorrie Turner |
Irmo Middle School |
Irmo |
South Carolina |
|
Greg Monsma |
Butler High School |
Louisville |
Kentucky |
The grant checks will be presented at school-level celebrations this fall.
Four of the “MusicEd Idol” winners have been selected to attend the 2016 NAfME National In-Service Conference (Nov. 10-13) in Grapevine, Texas, as VIP guests. They will participate in a panel discussion on how to help students reach their full potential:
- Lynette Carr-Hicks (Uniondale, New York)
- Lorrie Turner (Irmo, South Carolina)
- Christopher Hanson (San Marcos, Texas)
- Emmanuel Toledo (Lawrence, Massachusetts)
Individuals are encouraged to continue sharing their own stories on their personal social media channels such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #MusicEdIdol.
