At VH1 Save The Music, we develop strategic partnerships with school districts to build sustainable instrumental music programs by providing grants of brand–-new musical instruments to public elementary and middle schools. Our goal? To give every child in this country access to music education in school.

VH1 Save The Music Foundation works in close coordination with stakeholders across the country, including district leadership, principals, music teachers, researchers, arts education organizations, parents and community members to inform our work. Our work is fueled by strategic partnerships at the local level, and starts with a public school district making a commitment to music education for all students. Specifically, when a partner district commits to hiring certified music teachers and returning music to the regular school day: 1. We provide the capital investment of instruments, technology and other resources to start and build upon the district's music programs. 2. We support music teachers with professional development, research and classroom content. 3. We continue to advocate for music as a necessary component of every student's education. In addition, VH1 STMF provides ongoing program support, monitoring, research & measurement to grantee schools for at least a 10-year period. HOW: We reach out to districts in need. (Most of our partner districts are primarily Title I and underserved. ) We reach out to districts who are ready to make a commitment to music education. They are ready to make an investment and hire qualified music teachers. (We require at least one full-time certified music teacher to be in place at each grantee school. ) We rely on support from arts coordinators, superintendents, principals and community-based organizations. We secure funding from individuals, foundations, government agencies and corporations to fund our work in local communities. We donate musical instruments, music stands, method books, and other equipment needed to get an instrumental music program off the ground. We provide ongoing program support and management for a ten-year period.

VH1 Save The Music Foundation advocates for comprehensive, sequential, curricula-based music education on national, state, and local levels. Foundation staff members participate in, and lead sessions at, national conferences and various state music educator conferences. There, they advocate for standards-based, sequential music instruction as an integral component of a complete education. On the local level, VH1 Save The Music Foundation requires that every school have a certified music teacher instructing the program as is done for other core subjects. By requiring that a music teacher's salary be paid for by the school district, as is done for any other core subject, the school district makes a long-term commitment to the program. This partnership helps create transformation in the public school system.

Specific, measurable activities to accomplish the complete restoration of a music education programs in a Public School, including: In partnership with the Public School District, VH1 Save The Music Foundation and local music education partners will deliver a full instrumental music package valued at approximately $15,000 - $50,000 (such as a band, string or mariachi package) to a qualifying public school without current access to a comprehensive instrumental music education. Students will have access to a quality education that includes instrumental music study taught by a certified teacher as part of the regular school day to help students meet their full potential and express themselves creatively. Our progress can also be measured in the number of grants we've provided since 1997 and the number of district rebuilds we've completed. See our impact map here: https://www. vh1savethemusic. org/how-we-work/#impact Our progress indicators more specifically include the large collective of progress reports we have gathered over the years as part of the grant requirement compliance with the school districts. We continuous report on the successes of our programs throughout the year on our website. You can visit our blog posts here: https://www. vh1savethemusic. org/category/blog/stories/page/3/

Founded in 1997 as the first organization of its kind, VH1 Save The Music has donated $54 million in new musical instruments to more than 2,000 public schools in 257 school districts around the country — positively impacting the lives of millions of students. Learn more about us and our efforts at vh1savethemusic. org What's Next? - Two new grant packages, more money raised, more grants, more states! The Music Tech Grant pairs STM's successful program of music-related capital investment in public school districts with a strong technology component that reflects how artists make music today. Grant package includes variety hardware and software needed to operate DJ-ing, beat-making, audio recording, audio engineering and more and in depth training for music teachers The General Music Program provides includes everything a music teacher would need to provide all PK-5 students with sequential standards based general music instruction focused in active music making and participation for all students. Grant package includes developmentally-appropriate and culturally-relevant instruments and resources such as digital piano, classroom set of Orff Instruments (shown in the picture), World drums, recorders, Boomwhackers, rhythm instruments, method books, and program support for 10 years.