By Gail Wingfield | Director of Development
A man for all seasons, Mr. C first found Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom when he was the principal in Los Angeles Unified School District's Lankershim Elementary, in North Hollywood. A champion of diverse, economically challenged, devoted, and resourceful families, he was determined to pour more musical learning opportunities into the lives of their children by giving GITC training to his faculty members. As we say, "Train a teacher and inspire a generation!" Mr. C got the majority of his faculty members involved, and Lankershim became the host site for teacher training from educators all over the San Fernando Valley! In his role as principal, he visited every classroom with his own ukulele, supporting and accompanying the teachers and students while they learned. He set the GITC bar for cool administrators. In addition to hosting and supporting teacher training, Mr. C launched after school uke clubs, and got kids performing not just for their families, but for the school district! If you are reading this, you may be one of the amazing donors who support our programs and the educators who have embraced making and teaching through music, changing the lives of their students. We are so grateful!
After many fruitful years of service at Lankershim, Mr. C answered the call to serve as the principal at Canterbury Elementary in Arleta (also in LAUSD), and found himself surrounded by a wildly enthusiastic group of teachers who embraced our developmental teaching method and began teaching through the power of song within a very short time. The school became alight with music through GITC's capacity building co-teaching artist residencies.
Fast forward, Mr. C retired a few years later, and decided to make GITC his retirement career! Since that time he has joined our board of directors and our teaching artist faculty, and is now an exceptionally popular teaching artist in LA. This year he has already been serving in classrooms at San Fernando Elementary and Canterbury Elementary, both during the school day, and in after school Strummers Clubs. This winter will take him to Chase Elementary, Glenwood Elementary, and more.
Mr. C shared one of his greatest success stories, "When I walked down the school hallway last week I saw a teacher who had participated last year in an 8-week Professional Development course. He was playing the ukulele for his Kindergarteners, and having them independently write verses to an anchor song he had taught them. This is a great example of how the use of the ukulele as a teaching and learning tool is enormous, as evidenced by the students and educators I have the pleasure to work with."
As a result of your care, Mr. C and other GITC teaching artists are spreading the joy of learning through the power of song. We look forward to your continuing support in 2025. Thank you so much!
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By Jess Baron | Executive Director
By Jess Baron | Executive Director
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