This project will deliver supportive music instruction and instruments to classes serving homeless students. Singing will reduce anxiety and isolation, increase belonging and boost learning for children coping with homelessness.
Children whose parents have lost their economic footing and have become homeless need extra help in school to cope with the uncertainties and hardships they are facing outside of school. They need a way to feel peace, stability and safety, to express their feelings and needs, to trust their classmates and to focus their minds. This project will support teachers to lead hands-on music and singing for helping whole classrooms with homeless students.
In classrooms including homeless children, GITC will train and coach teachers to lead music that helps and heals young hearts with a 6 week class, 2 coaching visits, rhythm instruments and student ukuleles to keep so they can make music every day. Each class will learn to sing and write songs of friendship that help children to identify and express their feelings and ask confidently for what they need. Songs such as Guy Davis' "I Will Be Your Friend" will become daily sources of encouragement.
This work instills life-long love of learning & success through music! All children are reached, including those in Title 1 and public school classrooms- GITC creates precious musical opportunities and access to instruments for everyone. This approach makes classrooms happier places, enables students to bring up their grades and test scores, schools get stronger, and teachers acquire an inspiring new way to do their best!
