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Who
should apply
- Low-income ($35,000 or less for a household of 4)
- Out-of-work, single parent, or have disability
- Your child has school lunch
- You have government heating subsidy
What
you will need to do
You must be a registered student in PianoKids to be eligible to apply
for financial aid. You will need to do the following;
- Schedule a free introductory lesson for your child
- If you are accepted, pay $25 registration fee (refundable
to you if you do not receive your scholarship)
- Fill out a scholarship application
- Attach a copy of your latest tax return
- Mail your application to PianoKids.
How
we can help you
Paying part of your tuition fee
If you are approved by the Music
Literacy scholarship committee, you may receive financial aid
that will cover 40%, 50% or 75% of your tuition costs. Your approval
will depend on how much money Music
Literacy have in a given year, and your level of need relative
to other applicants.
Lending you a keyboard
You can request Music Literacy
to loan you a keyboard from our small pool of keyboards if keyboards
are available. There is a nominal $5 monthly fee for this.
Who
we are
The Music Literacy
Project
Music Literacy, Inc is a non-profit organization dedicated to
supporting music literacy among young children in Berkshire County,
Massachusetts through various funding
programs. Our PianoKids Initiative funds music
enrichment programs in elementary schools and in after-school settings
in Massachussets, Connecticut, and Ohio. We mainly fund music programs
that use technology and are related to cognitive development and
improving math skills in young children.
The Music Scholarship Program raises funds from
local businesses to enable low-income families to send their children
to a PianoKids after-school program in their school. Since its
inception in 2003 the
organization has subsidized 76 Berkshire County students
from low income families, and established a small pool of lending
keyboards for home practicing.
Music Literacy, Inc
is a 501(c)3 tax exempt charitable organization incorporated in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Mission
Our mission is to increase music literacy among young people, to help
develop technology tools that teach children to read and understand
music, to support educational initiatives that use music to develop the
mind, and help low-income families provide quality music education to
their children.
History
Music Literacy, Inc. (“The Music Literacy Project”) was formed in 2003
under the umbrella of The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. In
2006 it was incorporated as a not-for-profit charitable organization in
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and a 501(c)3 corporation.
Since 2003 the organization has raised over $38,000 and distributed 76
financial aid packages to students from low-income families. Music
Literacy, inc. also funds a small lending pool keyboards for home
practicing.
Programs
- Promoting the establishment of new PianoKids after-school
music literacy programs
- Funding Financial Aid for low-income families who wish to
register in PianoKids programs
- Developing new curricula in music literacy and math skills
through music and technology
- Supporting research into new learning modalities in early
music education
- Sponsoring publications that promote musical creativity
among children
Scholarship
committee
An independent scholarship committee decides the distribution of
financial aid based on the organization's guidelines and the
availability of funds. The committee members are prominent
professionals in the area of music and education:
- Dr. Robert Putnam – Head of Teaching and Learning,
Berkshire Hills Regional School District (formerly Principal of Muddy
Brook Elementary School in Great Barrington, Massachusetts)
- Dr. Ellen Shanahan, Head, Music Department, Berkshire
Community College, Pittsfield, Massachusetts (formerly Dean of Arts at
the college)
- Nina Dawe, President, (Harvard graduate, former Associate
Director Resident Life, Tafts University)
Financial aid
guidelines
Eligibility
Applications are accepted from families whose children were accepted
into the PianoKids program at the Berkshire South Regional Community
Center in Great Barrington and who can demonstrate need for financial
assistance to cover tuition and keyboard costs.
Awards
Awards depend on the amount available from the Music Literacy Fund and
the number of applications received, but will generally range between
40% and 75% of tuition costs and/or the loan of a keyboard. Only
households which can afford to pay part of the tuition costs need apply.
Review
Process
Application will be reviewed by the Music Literacy Project's
Scholarship Committee. This is a committee of prominent educators in
Berkshire County and members of the Music Literacy Project's Advisory
Board.
Review
Criteria
The committee will review requests for scholarships according to the
following criteria:
· Financial need
· The family's commitment and ability to cover a portion of the
tuition fee, as well as pay for incidental expenses (books, etc.) for a
minimum of two semesters.
When to apply
Deadlines
Completed applications must be received at the Music Literacy Project
as follows:
- By September 15, 2005 - for the fall semester
- By January 15, 2006 - for the winter semester
- By April 15, 2006 - for the spring semester
- By June 15, 2006 - for the summer semester, and 06/07
pre-registration
Notification
Applicants will be informed of the scholarship committee's
decision
within 10 days of the deadline date.
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