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.

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